Digital Download: Quantum Computing: The Next Energy Wave Is Coming

By Delegate Cliff Hayes

When most people hear the words “quantum computing,” their eyes glaze over.  It sounds like something from a science fiction movie rather than something that could impact our daily lives, our economy, and even our electric bills.

But make no mistake, quantum computing is real, and it may eventually require even more energy than today’s artificial intelligence revolution.

So what exactly is quantum computing?

Think of today’s computers like a massive library clerk.  A traditional computer searches for answers one book at a time, page by page, moving in a straight line.  Even the world’s fastest supercomputers still follow that basic process, just at incredible speed.

Quantum computers work differently.

Instead of checking one path at a time, imagine millions of librarians searching every aisle, every shelf, and every page simultaneously.  That is the promise of quantum computing.

Traditional computers use “bits,” which are either a 0 or a 1.

Quantum computers use “qubits.”

A qubit can be 0, 1, or both at the same time through a phenomenon called superposition.

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0 \text{ or } 1 \quad \rightarrow \quad 0,1,\text{ or both simultaneously}

If that sounds confusing, here is a simpler analogy:

Imagine trying to solve a maze.

A normal computer tries one hallway after another until it eventually finds the exit.

A quantum computer explores every hallway at once.

That capability could revolutionize medicine, cybersecurity, logistics, weather forecasting, materials science, and energy discovery itself.

For example, quantum computing could someday:

• Discover new drugs in weeks instead of years
• Design stronger and lighter materials
• Optimize traffic patterns for entire cities
• Improve electric grid efficiency
• Crack incredibly complex scientific equations

But there is a catch.

Quantum computers are extremely delicate.  Many must operate at temperatures colder than outer space.  They require enormous cooling systems, specialized infrastructure, and massive amounts of electricity to stabilize their qubits and correct errors.

That is why experts believe the energy demands of quantum computing could eventually rival, or even surpass, today’s AI data center boom.

Today’s AI systems already consume staggering amounts of electricity to train large models.

Quantum computing could multiply those demands because of the need for:

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• Ultra cold refrigeration systems
• Error correction at massive scale
• Advanced chip manufacturing
• Specialized facilities with constant power stability

In simple terms, AI is teaching computers to think faster.

Quantum computing is attempting to change the very way computers think.

Virginia, particularly Hampton Roads, should pay close attention.  As the Commonwealth continues positioning itself as a leader in advanced technology, offshore wind, subsea cable infrastructure, cybersecurity, and data infrastructure, quantum computing may represent the next great technological frontier.

The future will belong not only to the regions that innovate fastest, but also to the regions that can responsibly power that innovation.

Because in the coming decade, the question may no longer simply be:

“Who has the smartest technology?”

It may also become:

“Who has enough energy to run it?”