Trump signs executive order barring foreign equipment from U.S. power grid
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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday declaring a national emergency to secure the U.S. bulk-power system. The order prohibits the purchase or installation of foreign-produced equipment deemed a national security risk. It cites malicious cyber activities and targets Chinese-made equipment in U.S. energy infrastructure.
Key Facts
- The executive order forbids any acquisition, importation, transfer, or installation of foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment deemed a significant national security risk.
- The Energy Department has 120 days to develop rules to implement the order, in consultation with other key departments.
- China supplies 85% of solar supply chain production capacity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- In 2024, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress that hackers had prepositioned themselves in small office and home routers, with the electricity grid as a target in a potential conflict with China.
Executive Order Provisions
The order declares a national emergency to secure the U.S. bulk-power system and prohibits certain foreign-produced equipment, software, and systems from being used in the country. It forbids any acquisition, importation, transfer, or installation of such equipment if it is determined to pose a significant national security risk. The White House said the order generally prohibits certain foreign-produced bulk-power system electric equipment, including associated critical software and digital capabilities that could pose cybersecurity or operational risks, from being purchased or installed in the United States. The order cites malicious cyber activities as one impetus and notes that minimal restrictions on foreign-produced equipment augment the ability of some foreign entities to create and exploit vulnerabilities, such as digital backdoors.
China Threat Context
The executive order is a response to fears of Chinese-made equipment housed within U.S. energy infrastructure and continues other Trump administration measures to shun that equipment. China supplies 85% of solar supply chain production capacity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and is a major player in the power transformer manufacturing business. In 2024, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress that hackers prepositioning themselves in small office and home routers had the electricity grid as one of their targets should China and the United States go to war.
Implementation Timeline
The Energy Department has 120 days to develop rules to implement the order, in consultation with other key departments. Near the end of Trump's first term, he signed an executive order seeking to limit the purchase of foreign-made bulk-power equipment, but the Biden administration suspended that order, citing the need to review its scope. Some utilities found compliance with the 2020 executive order difficult.
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Trump signs executive order barring foreign equipment from U.S. power grid
