Global energy grids are under unprecedented stress as energy flows become more complex with the addition of intermittent energy sources and the artificial intelligence boom drives demand to new heights. Managing variable inflows and outflows of electricity while also keeping up with data center hyperscalers will require expanding and enhancing the grid at an unprecedented scale. “Modernizing the grid to make it ‘smarter’ and more resilient through the use of cutting-edge technologies, equipment, and controls that communicate and work together to deliver electricity more reliably and efficiently can greatly reduce the frequency and duration of power outages, reduce storm impacts, and restore service faster when outages occur,” the United States Department of Energy writes. “Utilities also benefit from a modernized grid, including improved security, reduced peak loads, increased integration of renewables, and lower operational costs.” The goal is to make the grid work smarter, not harder – and China thinks that the solution might be found in quantum mechanics. A team of researchers is working to apply quantum technologies in an exploratory project at a substation in Hefei, Anhui province in order to test how the approach could bolster grid resilience and reliability. The researchers are “using quantum sensors, secure communications and computing to detect faults, improve measurements and model grid operations,” according to a recent report from Interesting Engineering. The substation has been the testing site for a series of quantum technologies since its construction in 2024, including an 18-month trial of quantum sensors used to detect defects and issues within the power grid. By using quantum technologies, these sensors are capable of detecting weak electrical signals and minute shifts in temperature and humidity within the station’s switchgear room, thereby protecting the station’s equipment and potentially detecting and stopping power outages before they start. By researching and developing these