AI and Blockchain-Enabled Secure Smart Grids: A Survey

This article reviews the evolution and current status of using blockchain technology to improve Smart Grid security and trust. It also summarizes the main challenges faced by blockchain-based Smart Grid systems. The survey provides a clear explanation of the various risks that threaten the blockchain-based Smart Grid and explores how AI technologies can support intrusion detection systems in identifying anomalies. It further highlights the importance of emerging quantum-computing risks and the challenges of adopting post-quantum cryptography in resource-constrained smart meters. The current AI evidence is concentrated on offline detection of false data and traffic anomalies, while operational validation, uncertainty calibration, adversarial robustness, and deployment-cost reporting remain limited, partly due to the lack of publicly available real-time BSG datasets and the complexity of realistic Smart Grid simulations. Further, post-quantum migration is constrained by the memory, bandwidth, latency, and energy budgets of long-lived smart-meter hardware. The abstract also identifies end-to-end evaluation of hybrid classical/post-quantum signatures as a priority. These insights support the development of more secure and resilient Smart Grid systems. By addressing these challenges and implementing robust countermeasures, this article aims to enhance the overall security of Smart Grids and promote their long-term resilience.