Maria Cantwell Presses Trump Energy Nominee About Innovations In Quantum Computing

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During Thursday’s Senate Energy Committee hearing, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) questioned Under Secretary of Energy Nominee Dr. Dario Gil about quantum computing innovations.

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00:00Thank you. Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Dr. Gill. I represent Bill Nye, the science guy,

00:04but I'm more than happy to say Dr. Gill, the DOE science guy, and make sure that we keep our

00:11investments. One of those investments is in the area of AI and quantum. Both the Pacific Northwest

00:18Lab and Microsoft are using quantum computing and AI high conformance for all sorts of different

00:23issues already, battery research, computer approaches, simulating turbulence, superconductors.

00:31So do you support the National Quantum Initiative reauthorization? And if confirmed, would you work

00:37with my staff and members of this committee to advance it? Senator, thank you for your question

00:42and for your support on these topics for so many years. I really appreciate your leadership on that.

00:48You are not going to find a more enthusiastic person on supporting the National Quantum Initiative

00:53and my challenge would be, like, how do we become even bolder on what we achieve on that?

01:00And the way I frame that thinking is not only do we need to support the centers that National

01:05Quantum Initiative created and the fundamental science, but we got to now combine that aspiration

01:11with delivering a capability for the nation. So just like in the past, we built CPU-centric

01:17supercomputers. Like recently, we built GPU-centric supercomputers. We have to build a quantum-centric

01:24supercomputer. And that will mobilize and activate the National Quantum Initiative Centers towards a goal,

01:30and we have to deliver that goal. So huge supporter of that effort.

01:34So that's about test bedding.

01:35Test bedding is an element, but it's also to use all of those things, the scientific research,

01:42the test beds, but to give it a goal is build a capability with this performance at this cost,

01:50just like when we would build in the past El Capitan or any of the supercomputers. There's a

01:55definitive timeline and a definitive set of dollars to deliver a capability that leads the world.

02:00I think we need to do the same thing in quantum.

02:02Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate that answer.

02:04Mr. Griffith, obviously, I'm a big supporter of BPA and what it delivers in cost-based power.

02:12I think we need to give BPA more support, not less. They have committed to $5 billion in grid

02:19upgrades using borrowing authority. This committee approved as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure

02:24Act. I want to submit a letter for the record that, I'm sorry, a article for the record written by

02:31two former BPA leaders, Randy Hardy and Steve Wright, and I want to quote, they say,

02:42quote, we can say with confidence is the level of risk now with the existing workforce reductions

02:50is unacceptable and at some point further reductions would make outages practically inevitable, end quote.

02:57So that concerns me when two former BPA administrators make those kind of statements.

03:05I appreciate that Doge has already allowed the BPA to rehire some of those probationary employees,

03:11but I want to ask you, do you believe BPA's workforce should be exempt from the current hiring freeze and

03:17future force reductions? Thank you, Senator, for your question. I obviously haven't been confirmed and

03:25don't know. I've read similar reports. I don't think I've solved that one that you submitted for the record,

03:31but should I be confirmed? I look forward to getting up to speed prioritizing it. I worked in the last

03:36Trump administration, the first one, and understand the important role that BPA and the Power Marketing

03:41Administration's other PMAs have in delivering affordable, reliable energy from our hydroelectric

03:47resources, and I'm committed to working with you and your office, this committee,

03:53to do that should that be confirmed. Do you commit to

03:58articulate BPA's safety and reliability role when considering any RIF proposals?

04:04Senator, again, I don't know exactly what is happening in the department or any discussions,

04:09but I will prioritize working with the secretary, the deputy secretary, and the rest of the team

04:16on this issue if confirmed to... I'm just asking you whether you will raise safety and reliability

04:22roles. That's a pretty easy... Oh, safety and reliability are obviously very important to the grid,

04:27BPA and all of the utilities and PMAs, and I think we'll continue to prioritize the reliability,

04:35the security and the resilience of our grid, including at the PMAs. Do you commit to pose any

04:40proposal to auction off PMA assets, including those owned by BPA? Sorry, could you repeat the question? Yes.

04:47Do you commit to oppose any proposals to auction off PMA assets, including those owned by BPA? Yes,

04:55Senator, I think BPA is a very important piece of the department and it played an important role.

05:04I'm not aware of any discussions or conversations about selling it off, but I think we... So I really

05:14can't commit... I think if Senator Rish were here, he'd be backing me up at this moment and he'd be

05:18encouraging you to say that you don't believe in selling off BPA, but... I don't know what the...

05:25What they're... If there's... Not being confirmed, I don't know any conversations that have in the

05:29building. I wouldn't see a... It's not something that I would be a proponent of.

05:35Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:37Thank you, Senator Cantwell. I want to thank our witnesses.

05:41Um...

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