Quantum Enhanced Deep Reinforcement Learning for Distribution Network Reconfiguration
Abstract
Modern smart grids generate increasingly rich operational data and deploy greater numbers of remotely controlled switching assets than ever before, creating new opportunities for data-driven distribution network reconfiguration (DNR). DNR optimizes grid topology to improve efficiency, reduce power losses, and maintain operational constraints, but finding optimal switch configurations remains a computationally demanding combinatorial problem. In this paper, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework for static DNR to systematically investigate how the Q-network architecture affects both solution quality and learning performance. We evaluate multiple architectures within a controlled DRL framework, varying only the Q-network to isolate the contribution of each architectural choice. Our results show that quantum-enhanced Q-networks can achieve higher rewards with fewer parameters than their classical counterpart, suggesting that such architectures are a promising direction for combinatorial power systems optimization.
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BibTeX
@misc{germain2026quantum,
title = {{Quantum Enhanced Deep Reinforcement Learning for Distribution Network Reconfiguration}},
author = {Daniel Germain and Mason Blanchard and Audrey Versteegen and Nora Bauer and Jonathan Mei and Claudio Girotto and Paul Smith and Martin Roetteler},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.40327},
eprint = {2609.40327},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.40327},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Quantum Enhanced Deep Reinforcement Learning for Distribution Network Reconfiguration
AU - Daniel Germain
AU - Mason Blanchard
AU - Audrey Versteegen
AU - Nora Bauer
AU - Jonathan Mei
AU - Claudio Girotto
AU - Paul Smith
AU - Martin Roetteler
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.40327
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.40327
AB - Modern smart grids generate increasingly rich operational data and deploy greater numbers of remotely controlled switching assets than ever before, creating new opportunities for data-driven distribution network reconfiguration (DNR). DNR optimizes grid topology to improve efficiency, reduce power losses, and maintain operational constraints, but finding optimal switch configurations remains a computationally demanding combinatorial problem. In this paper, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework for static DNR to systematically investigate how the Q-network architecture affects both solution quality and learning performance. We evaluate multiple architectures within a controlled DRL framework, varying only the Q-network to isolate the contribution of each architectural choice. Our results show that quantum-enhanced Q-networks can achieve higher rewards with fewer parameters than their classical counterpart, suggesting that such architectures are a promising direction for combinatorial power systems optimization.
ER -