Quantum Technology in Energy and Utilities
Researchers and energy companies have tested all three quantum technologies. In 2022, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers reported the first use of quantum keys to authenticate smart-grid communications, over a dedicated fiber link between a distribution center and a substation of the Chattanooga utility EPB. The University of Birmingham’s quantum gravity sensor found a two-meter utility tunnel from the surface. Aramco installed a 200-qubit Pasqal computer in Dhahran in 2025, and EDF, E.ON, Iberdrola and ExxonMobil have run optimization studies.
Quantum sensing for subsurface and asset surveys is moving into pilots now, and simulation of battery and catalyst materials comes next. Grid optimization will take longer. In a published unit-commitment study, a quantum hybrid solver had not yet matched Gurobi or CPLEX. We expect classical methods to lead through at least 2035. In this course, we cover what each technology can do for energy and utilities, how to judge the claims, and what to prepare now.
Course Outline
Module 1. Judging Quantum Claims (45 minutes)
Quantum computing, sensing and networking mature at different speeds, and each needs its own tests. We separate results demonstrated on hardware from company announcements and from resource estimates. We also separate the physical qubits in current machines from the logical, error-corrected qubits required for useful computation. You learn to ask which classical method a result was compared with, and which roadmap dates are commitments and which are targets. We test each question on a recent energy result, a grid unit-commitment study that compared a quantum hybrid solver with Gurobi and CPLEX.
Module 2. Quantum Computing for Energy (75 minutes)
We cover the materials problems with published resource estimates: battery degradation in lithium-rich cathodes, catalysts for nitrogen fixation and CO₂ conversion, and materials for fusion reactors. We then cover the optimization problems utilities ask about most, from unit commitment and power flow to battery siting and EV charging. We explain why their speedups are at most quadratic, and how to compare a quantum pilot with a classical solver at equal solution quality. We also cover hedging and demand forecasting, and how quantum-inspired methods on classical hardware differ from quantum computing.
Module 3. Quantum Sensing and Networking for Utilities (45 minutes)
We cover cold-atom gravity sensors for buried assets and voids, as well as absolute quantum gravimeters for reservoir monitoring. We also cover early research on diamond sensors for grid monitoring. We explain how to judge a sensor by its sensitivity, survey speed, size and field results against the best classical instrument. On networking, we cover quantum key distribution on utility fiber, from the Chattanooga trial to links along 110-kilovolt lines in Germany. We explain why NSA and other agencies recommend post-quantum cryptography first, with QKD at most an extra layer.
Module 4. What Energy Companies Are Doing (30 minutes)
We review named programs and what each result shows. They include ExxonMobil and IBM on shipping routes, E.ON and IBM on hedging, EDF and Pasqal on EV charging, and Iberdrola with Multiverse on battery siting. We cover Aramco’s Pasqal installation, EPB’s quantum network and its IonQ agreement, and National Grid’s 2026 study of quantum sensing for asset health. For each, you learn whether it reports a hardware result, an announcement or an estimate.
Module 5. Preparing Now (45 minutes)
We start with post-quantum migration for grid IT and operational technology, beginning with smart meters, billing and control centers. We then show you how to aim quantum exploration at problems with published resource estimates and write classical baselines into every pilot’s acceptance criteria. You also learn to scope sensing pilots against a cost-benefit case. We cover the skills that combine quantum and power-systems knowledge. In a working exercise, you draft a one-page quantum brief for your leadership.
Prerequisites
None.
Who this course is for
Executives, strategy and innovation leads, grid and asset managers, R&D teams and program managers at utilities, grid operators, oil and gas companies and renewable developers. Also useful for engineering consultancies and investors in energy technology.
What you’ll be able to do afterward
- Explain what quantum computing, sensing and networking can and cannot do for energy and utilities today
- Judge a quantum optimization claim against Gurobi, CPLEX or another strong classical solver
- Assess quantum sensors for subsurface surveys and asset monitoring by their field results
- Identify the battery, catalyst and materials problems worth tracking
- Decide where quantum key distribution adds value on utility networks, and where it does not
- Plan pilots, skills and post-quantum migration for the next five years
What you leave with
When you finish, we email you the course handbook, a PDF of every slide with notes that explain it in full. It includes a table of the use cases covered, each labelled as demonstrated, announced or estimated, with its sources. We also include a PDF copy of Quantum Systems Integration. The handbook is yours to keep.
Enrollment includes 180 days of access to the online on-demand course. Where that course is not yet published, the 180 days start on the day it is.
Where this course fits
You can take this course on its own. No technical background is assumed. For the security side, take Quantum-Safe Energy and Utilities. Sensing and networking teams can continue with Quantum Sensing Fundamentals and Quantum Networking and QKD Essentials. Quantum Technology for Chemicals and Materials covers battery and catalyst simulation in more depth.
Why we teach this
The material is based on Quantum Systems Integration, the reference text on quantum computing, networking, and sensing written by the course author. It also draws on faculty who work with quantum engineering and integration teams, and on the published resource estimates for each use case. We label every result in the course as demonstrated on hardware, announced by a company or estimated, so you can see how far each one has progressed.
Certificate of Completion
Upon completion, you receive a Quantum Academy certificate of completion. It confirms that you completed the course and is separate from Quantum Academy’s professional certifications.
About this program
Quantum Academy credentials are private professional credentials issued by Quantum Academy, a trade name of Post-Quantum Institute. They are not government-issued licenses, accredited degrees, or academic credit, and earning one does not guarantee employment, promotion, regulatory approval, or any other specific outcome.
Quantum Academy programs are educational and informational only, and are not legal, compliance, or engineering advice.
