Abstract: An electric power distribution system having a number of automatic protection breakers distributed on various levels is disclosed herein. Each protection breaker includes an electronic protection unit to open the breaker, which is controlled based on the amount of current flowing through the breaker and its derivative. Each of the breakers is preferably connected in order to exchange information concerning their respective status. Also disclosed herein is method for controlling the intervention sequence of the mutually interlocked breakers, in which a breaker reports a detected fault condition to its next higher level breaker.