Bipartisan Senate bill aims to prepare energy sector for Q-Day
Brief
A new bipartisan Senate bill would require federal regulators to prepare the U. S. electric grid for cybersecurity threats from quantum computers and create a technical sandbox to study how the technology could impact both information and operational technology systems.
The Quantum Grid Utility Assurance and Resilient Defense (Quantum-GUARD) Act , introduced by Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S. D. , and Chris Coons, D-Del. , would direct the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission when reviewing proposed reliability regulatory standards for electricity owners and operators under the Federal Power Act.
FERC updates its reliability standards to account for emerging cybersecurity concerns, and the legislation would expand those reviews to include the future threat of hacks from quantum computers.