Research effort will focus on using Chattanooga’s advanced and integrated energy and communications infrastructure to develop technologies and best practices.
EPB (formerly Electric Power Board of Chattanooga) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have announced a Collaborative for Energy Resilience and Quantum Science (CERQS) project.
The new joint research effort will focus on utilising Chattanooga’s advanced and integrated energy and communications infrastructure to develop technologies and best practices for enhancing the resilience and security of the national power grid with a view to accelerating the commercialisation of quantum technologies.
Advanced energy models
To date, EPB and ORNL have collaborated on nearly 30 funded projects, and the latest enterprise will build on $180m in joint energy-related research. These efforts encompass a range of research including the development of advanced energy models to optimise power distribution, and the utilisation of predictive algorithms to identify likely energy equipment failures so they can be addressed before customers lose power.
Another aspect is deployment of dynamic microgrids that can be rapidly scaled to meet changing energy needs as power supplied by solar and other renewable energy resources changes unpredictably throughout the day.
Taken together, these projects reflect efforts to keep energy costs lower for customers while enhancing the reliability and resilience of their energy and communications services.
“Thanks to EPB’s investment in our community-wide fibre optic network more than a decade ago, Chattanooga leads as a hub of innovation where entrepreneurs thrive, jobs grow and companies want to locate”
“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,” said David Wade, CEO of EPB.
“Building on our successful efforts over the last 10 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.”
Quantum cybersecurity technology has been one of the most prominent focus areas for the joint effort. With Department of Energy funding aimed at securing America’s electric grid against cyberthreats, EPB, ORNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Qubitekk, partnered to demonstrate quantum cryptographic technologies across a fibre optic network that EPB established between some of its electric substations.
Through the project, EPB reports it also developed the expertise to partner with Qubitekk in launching the EPB Quantum Network powered by Qubitekk, in what the partners claim is America’s first commercially available fibre optic network specifically designed and equipped for accelerating the commercialisation of quantum technologies.
To structure the effort, ORNL and EPB will establish CERQS to focus on four strategic goals:
EPB (formerly Electric Power Board of Chattanooga) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have announced a Collaborative for Energy Resilience and Quantum Science (CERQS) project.
The new joint research effort will focus on utilising Chattanooga’s advanced and integrated energy and communications infrastructure to develop technologies and best practices for enhancing the resilience and security of the national power grid with a view to accelerating the commercialisation of quantum technologies.
Advanced energy models
To date, EPB and ORNL have collaborated on nearly 30 funded projects, and the latest enterprise will build on $180m in joint energy-related research. These efforts encompass a range of research including the development of advanced energy models to optimise power distribution, and the utilisation of predictive algorithms to identify likely energy equipment failures so they can be addressed before customers lose power.
Another aspect is deployment of dynamic microgrids that can be rapidly scaled to meet changing energy needs as power supplied by solar and other renewable energy resources changes unpredictably throughout the day.
Taken together, these projects reflect efforts to keep energy costs lower for customers while enhancing the reliability and resilience of their energy and communications services.
“Thanks to EPB’s investment in our community-wide fibre optic network more than a decade ago, Chattanooga leads as a hub of innovation where entrepreneurs thrive, jobs grow and companies want to locate”
“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,” said David Wade, CEO of EPB.
“Building on our successful efforts over the last 10 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.”
Quantum cybersecurity technology has been one of the most prominent focus areas for the joint effort. With Department of Energy funding aimed at securing America’s electric grid against cyberthreats, EPB, ORNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and Qubitekk, partnered to demonstrate quantum cryptographic technologies across a fibre optic network that EPB established between some of its electric substations.
Through the project, EPB reports it also developed the expertise to partner with Qubitekk in launching the EPB Quantum Network powered by Qubitekk, in what the partners claim is America’s first commercially available fibre optic network specifically designed and equipped for accelerating the commercialisation of quantum technologies.
To structure the effort, ORNL and EPB will establish CERQS to focus on four strategic goals:
- National leadership in quantum science and technology, including research breakthroughs that enable the distribution of quantum information over long distances, connection of diverse quantum technologies, including quantum computing for novel data analytics and simulation, commercialisation in the supply chain, demonstrated improvements in business productivity, and US leadership in the emerging global quantum economy
- 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 K-12, community colleges, universities and businesses
- 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.
“Thanks to EPB’s investment in our community-wide fibre optic network more than a decade ago, Chattanooga leads as a hub of innovation where entrepreneurs thrive, jobs grow and companies want to locate,” said Tim Kelly, mayor of Chattanooga. “We look forward to working with EPB and ORNL as we strive to keep our city on the cutting edge for generations.”