IonQ and Chattanooga's energy provider, EPB, announced collaboration results. The project used quantum computing to optimize power grid operations. It utilized hybrid quantum-classical algorithms on an IonQ Forte Enterprise system. This system resides at the EPB Quantum Center. The initiative addressed complex challenges in Distribution Network Reconfiguration (DNR).
The partnership trained an in-house quantum team at EPB. It demonstrated a significant reduction in grid model complexity. This approach decreased parameters in grid neural network architectures by up to 95.8%. This enabled faster problem-solving. It also minimized power loss. The project demonstrates a practical application of quantum computing for industrial infrastructure.