Austin News

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) have introduced the Grid Resilience Innovation and Development (GRID) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at making the U.S. electric grid more resilient, secure, and efficient. The bill directs the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct research on how quantum applications and computing can be utilized to address the challenges faced by the electric grid.

In a statement, Senator Cornyn emphasized the need for the electric grid to be able to handle extreme weather events, increased demand, and other challenges. He stated, "This legislation would help determine how best to harness the advanced capabilities of quantum computing to make the U.S. electric grid more resilient."

Senator Padilla also highlighted the importance of a strong electrical grid for national and economic security. Referring to California's innovation and leadership in the field, he noted that further research into quantum computing technology is crucial. He said, "This bipartisan legislation would help harness this emerging technology to optimize the U.S. electrical grid and ensure that the lights stay on in our households and businesses."

Currently, the electric grid is monitored using models run on supercomputers. However, with the increasing complexity of the grid due to factors such as renewables, energy storage technology, and heightened demand, it may become too challenging for current supercomputers to handle. Quantum computing has the potential to assist in managing and optimizing the grid, but further research and development are needed.

The GRID Act would amend the National Quantum Initiative Act to require the U.S. Secretary of Energy to conduct research and development in collaboration with national laboratories, higher education institutions, and relevant industries. The areas of focus would include fault detection and prediction, grid security and safety, integrated grid planning, grid optimization, enhanced modeling, energy storage, and energy market optimization.

This bill is an important step towards ensuring the resilience and efficiency of the U.S. electric grid. By harnessing the potential of quantum computing, the aim is to address the challenges faced by the grid and ensure that power is reliably provided to every American household and business.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-padilla-introduce-bill-to-help-make-u-s-electric-grid-more-resilient/