Oak Ridge, Los Alamos labs join utility EPB to demonstrate next-gen grid security

A partnership between the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Labs at Oak Ridge and Los Alamos and the utility/telecommunications company EPB is putting a new type of secure communication into action for U.S. electricity suppliers.

The three partners have demonstrated the effectiveness of metro-scale quantum key distribution (QKD). As it stands, the system utilizes quantum mechanics to authenticate and encrypt data, giving two users the ability to share a key between them. The new system will also alert both users of the appearance of any third-party, allowing security to respond.

The labs are confident enough now that they want to show the interoperability of various QKD systems. They also want to show utility providers that their systems — often of a mix of components spread over a wide area — can operate in sync throughout the grid. To that end, they have both modified a commercial QKD system and created a separate, custom system, distributing a third key between them by interfacing at a secure information exchange.

“This demonstration accomplished two things: it showed that different systems can operate together and it established the functionality needed to relay keys over larger distances often encountered on the electric grid,” Nick Peters, leader of ORNL’s quantum communications team, said.

Their first demonstration was a success, opening the door to future possibilities. Now, the partners hope to overcome the severe distance limitations on QKD’s operating capabilities. As the distance of fiber optic transmissions increases, the amount quantum communications are able to process decreases — a serious handicap for a grid that spans a nation. For the moment,  that means turning to substations, using them as a waystation for signals.