US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday declaring a national emergency to ban certain foreign-made equipment from the electrical grid in the United States, the White House announced.
The executive order prohibits the purchase and installation of foreign electrical hardware designed for large-scale power systems. The restriction also applies to critical software and digital operations that the US government warned could create cyber security risks or compromise grid operations.
In the decree, Trump said that foreign procurement of bulk-power system equipment constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat originating largely outside the United States. He stated that the vulnerability threatens American national security, foreign policy, and the domestic economy.
To manage the risks, the order directs the US Secretary of Energy to establish conditions for the continued operation of foreign equipment already installed across the country. A related goal of the broader program is to develop the nation's first reactor by September 2028.
US energy grid security concerns
The United States electrical grid is an interconnected network of power generation facilities, high-voltage transmission lines, and local distribution systems that supply power across the country. Bulk-power systems form the core of this network, making them a primary focus for federal infrastructure protection.
The decision marks the latest attempt by officials in Washington to address technology threats associated with China. It comes after the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, banned Chinese-made inverters from publicly funded energy projects earlier this year.
Hardware security inspections
Grid vulnerabilities gained heightened attention last year after a news report by Reuters, the global news organization, revealed findings by American security specialists. Experts who dismantle power grid components to test for security flaws discovered unauthorized communication devices installed inside certain Chinese-made solar inverters.
The unauthorized components were not listed in the technical documentation supplied with the equipment. Inverters are critical components in modern renewable energy systems, converting direct current produced by solar panels into the alternating current required by electric power grids.
Under the new order, the United States Secretary of Energy must establish specific terms and conditions for the ongoing use of foreign equipment already operating within the power network. The Department of Energy oversees national energy policy and infrastructure security from its headquarters in Washington.
