Sponsors (2)
The bill accelerates federal coordination, testing, and adoption of post‑quantum cryptography to strengthen grid security and reliability, but it imposes real costs, timing and transparency tradeoffs, and risks uneven burdens—especially on smaller utilities and ratepayers.
Utilities, grid operators, and electricity consumers will get stronger protection against future quantum-enabled cyberattacks and more reliable electric service because the bill creates sandboxes, FERC duties, and federal assessments to accelerate testing and deployment of post‑quantum cryptography (PQC).
Federal agencies and state/local partners will have clearer roles and better cross‑agency coordination (DOE, FERC, other stakeholders), producing actionable recommendations and lowering barriers to scale effective PQC solutions.
Utilities, vendors, and researchers gain publicly available, unclassified findings plus clarified IT/OT and 'high‑value' definitions, which helps identify critical assets and accelerates planning, coordination, and deployment of PQC measures.
Utilities, vendors, ratepayers, and taxpayers will likely face significant costs to participate in sandboxes, upgrade cryptography, and implement recommended PQC transitions.
Smaller utilities and rural/cooperative systems may struggle with the technical and financial burdens of PQC adoption, risking uneven security and reliability across regions.
Broad regulatory discretion for FERC plus new federal leadership structures could create coordination challenges or overlap with state/regional regulators, producing uncertainty that complicates industry planning and investment.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Requires FERC to consider quantum cyber risks, directs DOE to create a PQC sandbox and produce a one‑year study and public report with recommendations for grid PQC transition.
Official title: Require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider cybersecurity risks from quantum computers, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 6, 2026 by Christopher A. Coons · Last progress August 6, 2026
Requires federal regulators and the Department of Energy to address quantum-computing cybersecurity risks to the electric grid. It directs FERC to consider quantum threats and post‑quantum cryptography when reviewing reliability standards, tasks DOE with creating a post‑quantum cryptography (PQC) sandbox for bulk‑power system IT/OT, and orders a study and public report on PQC transition risks and recommendations within one year. The law sets definitions for key terms (IT/OT, PQC, high‑value systems), creates a five‑year–focused PQC sandbox framework, requires DOE to publish sandbox outcomes within three years, and allows an optional classified annex to the risk study delivered to relevant congressional committees.