‘Energy Resilience and Quantum Science’ research collaborative launched in US

Chattanooga headquartered power distribution company EPB and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have launched the Collaborative for Energy Resilience and Quantum Science.

The Collaborative aims to focus on utilising Chattanooga’s advanced integrated energy and communications infrastructure to develop technologies and best practices for enhancing the resilience and security of the national power grid while accelerating the commercialisation of quantum technologies.

EPB in partnership with Qubitekk has launched the first commercially available quantum network in the US and building on a 10-year history of collaboration with ORNL extending to almost 30 projects, the two organisations anticipate further fundamental advances for energy system resilience, reliability and security.

“Working together, EPB and ORNL have advanced technologies that we will eventually be able to deploy for the immediate benefit of our local customers while providing a model for how other utilities can modernise their technology and operations,” commented David Wade, CEO of EPB.

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“Building on our successful efforts over the last ten years, we have a unique opportunity to operationalise cutting-edge advancements with the goal of enhancing power grid security and reliability both locally and nationally.”

Much of the joint research between EPB and ORNL has focused on quantum cybersecurity technology.

In a project also including Los Alamos National Laboratory and Qubitekk, quantum cryptographic technologies were demonstrated across a fibre optic network that EPB established between some of its electricity substations.

As a result of this work, the EPB Quantum Network powered by Qubiteckk was launched to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum technologies.

The Collaborative for Energy Resilience and Quantum Science is focused on four strategic goals:

● National leadership in quantum science and technology, including research breakthroughs that enable the distribution of quantum information over long distances, the connection of diverse quantum technologies, commercialisation in the supply chain and demonstrated improvements in business productivity.

● Energy security innovation, including research, development and deployment of novel quantum and digital technologies to create a next-generation grid energy distribution system that demonstrates improved service resilience and reliability and that is affordable and flexible, environmentally sustainable and cyber-secure for customers.

● Workforce development to support the quantum economy in East Tennessee, in partnership with community colleges, universities and businesses among others.

● Economic development that moves quantum technology from research to commercialisation over 10 years, positioning East Tennessee to capture investment in the quantum economy and to create new companies in the quantum manufacturing supply chain and business productivity applications development.

Other EPB- ORNL projects have included the development of advanced energy models to optimise power distribution, the utilisation of predictive algorithms to identify likely energy equipment failures so they can be addressed before customers lose power and the deployment of dynamic microgrids that can be rapidly scaled to meet changing energy needs with intermittent supply from renewables.