Quantum Computing Energy and Resource Impacts

Quantum computing has become the subject of enormous attention worldwide, owing to breakthrough technological developments in recent years and the potential for dramatically accelerating compute over the coming decades. However, the future implications of large-scale quantum-accelerated supercomputing for energy, water, and other sustainability considerations have not yet been quantified, especially how they compare to today’s AI data centers. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has completed an initial effort toward systematic assessment of these impacts: the QUEENS project. Results, insights, and open questions are summarized in two papers (references below). One overarching conclusion: planning a robust path for the future of quantum computing requires strong collaboration between research communities across engineering, physics, environmental sciences, economics, policy, and energy systems and scenario modeling.

• McCollum, D.L., S. Bhanja, S. Chehade, A. Delgado, M. Pan, and N. Sharma (2026). “Energy and physical resource impacts of quantum computing merit greater attention,” Nature Reviews Clean Technology.
• McCollum, D.L., N. Sharma, M. Pan, W. Yao, S. Bhanja, S. Chehade, and A. Delgado (2026). “Uncertain Quantum Computing Futures and Potential Energy and Physical Resource Impacts at Scale,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition.