Starfield Alternating Currents Quest Walkthrough: What is Trade Authority and How to Use It?

Here’s a complete 2026 guide to the Alternating Currents side quest in Starfield, including a full step-by-step walkthrough, the final choice, and everything you need to know about the Trade Authority (which plays a central role in the quest).

Quest Overview

Alternating Currents is the direct follow-up to the earlier side quest Tapping the Grid in The Well (the lower district of New Atlantis on Jemison, Alpha Centauri system). It involves investigating mysterious power drains/brownouts in The Well. The quest introduces you to Zoe Kaminski of the Trade Authority and forces a minor moral choice at the end.

• Level Recommendation: Very low (suitable right after arriving in New Atlantis).
• Rewards: ~2,000–5,800 Credits (varies slightly by level/perks) + 75–100 XP. The amount is the same regardless of your final choice.
• Prerequisites: Complete Tapping the Grid (helping Louisa Reyez with the first set of junction boxes).

The quest is short, mostly involves following quest markers to flip switches on junction boxes, and has no combat. It does require a few Digipicks for a novice lock.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Talk to Louisa Reyez
   Return to The Well in New Atlantis (take the elevator near the spaceport). Speak to Louisa (the power technician) near her monitoring station. She’ll ask for more help tracking the power drain.
2. Follow Louisa to the Trade Authority
   Louisa leads you a short distance to the Trade Authority office/shop in The Well.
   Here you meet Zoe Kaminski, the Trade Authority representative. Louisa and Zoe clearly don’t like each other. Listen to their conversation.
3. Talk to Zoe (Optional but Recommended)
   Speak with Zoe after the dialogue. She’ll offer her perspective on the power issues.
4. Locate and Power Down Junction Boxes

• First Box (36B or similar): From the Trade Authority entrance, head left/up the stairs. The quest marker leads you to the first junction box (often near Jake’s or the back area). Interact to power it down.
• Second Choice (45A or 47B): Louisa recommends one box; Zoe recommends the other.
  • Zoe’s box (47B): Closer, along scaffolding on the same floor around the corner.
  • Louisa’s box (45A): Requires going up stairs near Kay’s House to a cafeteria area, then around the corner.
    Tip: It doesn’t matter which you choose — the outcome and later rewards are identical. Pick the easier one for you.

1. Final Junction Box (101F)
   Leave The Well and head to the surface of New Atlantis. Go to the Residential District (near the NAT tram). Find Athena Tower (red sign, left path from the tram station).
   Power down the junction box outside the tower.
2. Investigate the Apartment
   Take the elevator up Athena Tower. Pick the Novice lock on the apartment door (requires Digipicks).
   Inside, you’ll find an unauthorized computer/hacker setup. Download the files/evidence from the computer.
   (Be quick — you can leave right after downloading; no need to explore much.)
3. Return to The Well & Make Your Choice
   Go back to the Trade Authority in The Well. Both Louisa and Zoe will be waiting.
   Zoe may call you en route, asking you to give the evidence to her instead.
   Hand over the data to either Louisa or Zoe.

The Final Choice: Louisa or Zoe?

• Give to Louisa Reyez (MAST-aligned technician): She promises to pass the evidence to the proper authorities to help fix The Well’s power issues for the residents. She’ll be grateful.
• Give to Zoe Kaminski (Trade Authority): She keeps most of the info for herself (possibly for profit or leverage) but says she’ll share “just enough.” She seems more shady.

Outcome: The choice has no significant long-term consequences.

• Rewards are identical (credits + XP).
• You can still use Zoe as a vendor afterward either way.
• Louisa may make one disappointed comment if you side with Zoe, but nothing else changes.
• Many players recommend Louisa for role-play reasons (helping the working-class residents of The Well), but it’s purely personal preference.

What is the Trade Authority?

The Trade Authority is the largest interstellar mercantile organization in the Settled Systems. They position themselves as a neutral, apolitical trading company, but they have a shady reputation involving profiteering, smuggling, and dealing in stolen goods.

Key Features:

• They buy anything from you, including stolen items and contraband (yellow-tagged illegal goods that other vendors reject).
• They are one of the best ways to make quick credits, especially early game when you’re hauling loot or contraband.
• They have higher vendor credit pools than most shops (usually 12,000 credits per store, refreshing every 24–48 in-game hours).

How to Use the Trade Authority

• Selling: Approach the vendor (not the small kiosk/terminal) and sell normally. Contraband and stolen goods sell without penalty here.
• Best Locations for Contraband:
• The Den (Wolf system, near Chthonia): No scans upon arrival — the safest and most popular spot for unloading illegal goods.
• New Atlantis – The Well: The one featured in this quest (Zoe Kaminski). Convenient early on.
• Other strong options: Neon, Akila City, Cydonia.
• Kiosks vs. Stores: Small kiosks (often near landing pads) only buy regular items and have lower credits (~5,000). Use full storefronts for contraband and bigger hauls.
• Pro Tip: Visit multiple Trade Authority locations and use the “Wait” function (or sleep) to refresh their credits if you have a huge inventory. The Den is ideal for repeated contraband runs.

In Alternating Currents, the Trade Authority office in The Well serves as the hub for the quest, highlighting the tension between corporate interests (Zoe) and public service (Louisa).

Tips for the Quest

• Bring 3–5 Digipicks for the novice lock.
• Follow the quest marker closely — it makes finding the junction boxes easy.
• The quest is quick and low-risk; do it early for easy credits and to unlock reliable contraband selling via Zoe.
• No bugs reported in 2026 patches that break the quest.

Alternating Currents is a great introduction to New Atlantis side content and the Trade Authority system. It rewards exploration of The Well and gives you a reliable vendor for future loot.

If you want guides for related quests (like Tapping the Grid, more contraband routes, or other New Atlantis side missions), just ask. Happy trading in the Settled Systems!