Applications of Quantum Physics in the Power Industry

A few weeks ago, I was having dinner with friends and family and among them were two physicists. We started talking about economics and how offer and demand interact between each other in our global economy, which is very normal for me since I am an economist. Every day, I must think about how the interactions between offer and demand can affect our clients’ primary input: electricity.

Rapidly, this conversation turned into a quantum physics discussion. How can this happen during an informal dinner with some friends and family, you may ask. It turns out that these two physicists are doing their specialization in quantum physics, and I recently listened to a conference about that subject applied to other sectors, where the only two things I learned was that a classical computer and a quantum computer do calculations differently, whatever that means, and, that I find that topic super interesting with multiple and possible applications in the power sector.

Of course, my first question to them was: What is the difference between a classical computer and a quantum computer? And please, not a textbook definition. What I understood as an economist with experience in wholesale electricity markets is that a quantum computer can outperform a classical computer in solving difficult problems, such as optimization or data analysis, increasing the probability of finding the solution in a lower time frame.

Another concept that was brought up at that dinner was the concept of open and closed systems, and how in our traditional thinking we neglect certain variables that affect the loss of efficiency when we think of a system as a closed concept, but one of the physicists present explained to us that new theories in quantum physics suggest that even in closed systems there are variables that are not factored in, that explain losses in efficiency, which may impact the efficiency of power plants and the equipment involved. So once again, quantum physics has a lot to offer in terms of understanding and achieving higher standards of efficiency and reliability for power generation and transmission.

Amazing! At that moment, I remembered the first days of the wholesale electricity market in Mexico, when I was the Head of Risk Management at CENACE, and all the struggles that CENACE’s engineers were facing as they worked  find the solution to  the optimization problem that solves the short-term market in Mexico, which was very easy for the Baja California Interconnected System but not so easy for the National Interconnected System. This becomes even more obvious when the system is stressed, leading to power scarcity in satisfying the demand for power. 

What if we could apply quantum physics to that optimization problem? What if it becomes so easy that it does not matter if we have 1.5 million or more restrictions in our power system? What if we can apply it to make increasingly efficient renewable generators and batteries? What if we can make our power systems more reliable and resilient? What if all these changes are possible and can totally change how we access power?

The more I read about this topic, the more I become interested in it. We know that there are a number of potential applications of quantum physics in power generation, such as quantum computing, quantum batteries, quantum power grids, and others that are even more innovative and those that we have yet to know.

I think the most promising application of quantum physics are quantum sensors, which are able to measure physical quantities with incredible accuracy and sensitivity. Now, we are able to produce electricity even from tiny movements. Imagine that you are at your fitness class and the whole class can produce a significant amount of power just from their movement. We are also able to produce electricity from light winds, but with quantum sensors we can do it in a more efficient and accessible way.

The potential applications of quantum physics in the power industry are vast and exciting. Quantum power grids could use quantum cryptography to secure communications between power plants and system operators, making them more resilient to cyberattacks and other disruptions, for example. Quantum computers and quantum sensors could also produce more efficient and reliable photovoltaic and wind power plants that increase the amount of power and efficiency, making them less likely to fail.

Finally, with all the potential applications of quantum physics, I really think that the democratization of power becomes an achievable goal, revolutionizing the way we generate, store, and transmit power all around the world. I am not an expert on quantum physics, but I find it very interesting, and I believe that this field has the potential to revolutionize the power industry and achieve a broader access to electricity not only in Mexico, but in the entire world.

I will continue to explore quantum physics and hopefully understand it better, so I can share that knowledge  with you too.