Senators Introduce Quantum-GUARD Act to Protect U.S. Grid

On August 18, Senators Chris Coons and Mike Rounds introduced the Quantum-GUARD Act. Specifically, this bill directs federal agencies to study and prepare the US electric grid for cybersecurity threats from quantum computing. The measure has been introduced, not passed, and it authorizes studies, a testing environment, and regulatory consideration.

Bill provisions

Indeed, the Quantum Grid Utility Assurance and Resilient Defense Act of 2026 outlines three main tasks:

1. FERC Authority: It would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to assess quantum-related cybersecurity risks under its existing authority over grid reliability.
2. Testing Environment: It would establish a testing environment through the Department of Energy‘s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. This environment would allow utilities and vendors to experiment with post-quantum cryptography approaches.
3. Vulnerability Study: It would require the same DOE office to study quantum vulnerabilities across the bulk electric power system, covering both information technology and operational technology.

The bill leverages existing standards work. In 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology finalized its post-quantum cryptography standards to resist decryption by future quantum machines. However, the timing of the concern the bill addresses remains speculative. 

Coons and Rounds argue that a quantum computer capable of breaking current encryption may emerge, and that migrating field equipment takes years. Additionally, Rounds states that the bill would codify parts of an executive order from President Trump on advanced cryptographic attacks.

Supporters

The announcement includes endorsements from parties involved in post-quantum work, such as the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, the Cyber Threat Alliance, the Quantum Industry Coalition, Ampyx Cyber, American Binary, and IonQ. These are statements from interested vendors and advocacy groups, not independent assessments.

One endorsement highlights a key challenge. Patrick C. Miller, president and CEO of Ampyx Cyber, noted:

“The threat quantum computing poses to the systems that run our electric grid is real, and the hardest part of getting ahead of it is not the cryptography itself but migrating the equipment already in the field. This bill gets the approach right.”

Whether the bill progresses depends on committee action and the Senate calendar, which has not yet been set. As introduced, it commits the government to examine the problem and create a testing facility for solutions; it doesn’t currently require any utility to implement changes.