Eaton wins $7M Air Force deal to harden power grids with quantum

Eaton has secured a $7 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to apply quantum computing to power grid security. The 24-month project will improve upon current industry standards, designed to withstand two sequential failures, by preparing for multiple, concurrent threats to electrical systems. Eaton will collaborate with Infleqtion and Penn State to develop new quantum-enabled algorithms and hybrid quantum-classical methods.

Eaton & AFRL Target N-2 Contingency with Quantum Computing

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is funding a $7 million effort led by Eaton to improve current power grid resilience standards. The existing North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirement for withstanding two sequential failures, known as N-2, is no longer sufficient for emerging threats. Eaton intends to analyze and prepare for multiple, concurrent, and unpredictable combinations of failures, a significant leap in proactive grid security.

This 24-month project will combine Eaton’s expertise in intelligent power management with the computational power of quantum computing to address the contingency problem, which involves evaluating numerous grid configurations for potential weaknesses. Researchers will optimize circuits for hybrid computation, conduct experiments on multiple quantum hardware platforms, and work to correct errors inherent in quantum systems.

Eaton’s approach involves more than just computational power; the company is integrating specialized quantum hardware from Infleqtion with advanced machine learning algorithms developed with support from Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Christopher A. Herbst, vice president at Eaton, said, “At Eaton, we’re delivering solutions for intelligent power management that benefit critical infrastructure through our engineering capabilities and our comprehensive approach to research and development.” The resulting proof-of-concept demonstration will showcase how combining current quantum hardware with these new algorithms and machine learning techniques can address real-world grid challenges, ultimately enhancing infrastructure planning, daily operations, and emergency preparedness by providing increased awareness and response capabilities.