Four energy utilities currently operate the electricity power lines that criss-cross the German countryside. But if proposals being considered by Berlin see the light of day this quartet could soon become a solo performance. The ambitious proposals would see the big energy groups Eon, Vattenfall, RWE and EnBW bundle their regional high-voltage grids into a holding company. Proponents of a national grid company laud its potential to improve energy efficiency, stimulate competition, attract investment and lower electricity bills. But the apparent simplicity of the concept belies a complex web of corporate, political and regulatory interests that have tussled