NewsMacroTrump order could force U.S. utilities to replace foreign power equipment

Trump order could force U.S. utilities to replace foreign power equipment

Author: Fox Business Markets·

Key Takeaways

  • •The Energy Department may block foreign-produced bulk-power equipment if a transaction involves a covered foreign entity and poses an unacceptable security risk.
  • •The order can also apply to equipment already in service, allowing officials to require it to be identified, secured, disconnected, replaced or removed.
  • •Covered equipment includes transformers, generators, battery storage systems, grid-connected inverters, turbines, industrial control systems and related software and firmware.
  • •The administration said the restrictions are intended to reduce risks from vulnerabilities, including possible digital backdoors, and from supply shocks tied to foreign dependence.
  • •The Energy Department has 120 days to issue implementing rules, and the energy secretary has 180 days to recommend changes to federal procurement rules favoring U.S.-manufactured energy infrastructure.
Trump order could force U.S. utilities to replace foreign power equipment

President Donald Trump’s new national emergency declaration could restrict U.S. purchases and imports of certain foreign-made power grid equipment and could also force utilities and infrastructure operators to replace equipment already in service as the administration moves to address national security risks to the electric system.

Under an executive order signed Wednesday, the Energy Department can prohibit the acquisition, importation, transfer or installation of foreign-produced bulk-power equipment if officials determine the transaction involves a covered foreign entity and poses an unacceptable security risk.

The order goes further for equipment already operating on the U.S. grid. The energy secretary can require foreign-manufactured or operated equipment to be identified, isolated, monitored, secured, disconnected, replaced or removed, potentially forcing utilities and other infrastructure operators to change existing systems.

Those provisions could carry financial and operational consequences for the power sector, although the order does not estimate potential costs or identify which equipment or vendors could ultimately be affected.

The administration said the restrictions are necessary because foreign-produced equipment could contain vulnerabilities, including digital backdoors capable of providing remote access to critical infrastructure. The White House also said reliance on foreign suppliers leaves the U.S. vulnerable to equipment shortages caused by trade disruptions or other supply shocks. For utilities, the practical issue is not only what can be bought going forward, but also how regulators balance security concerns with reliability and the need to keep electricity flowing while any changes are phased in.

The stakes have risen as artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing and defense production drive greater demand for reliable electricity, according to the order.

The equipment potentially covered includes major pieces of grid infrastructure such as transformers, generators, battery energy storage systems, grid-connected inverters, turbines and industrial control systems, along with associated software, firmware and remote-access capabilities.

Before requiring equipment to be isolated, disconnected, replaced or removed, the order directs officials to consider reliability and safety, the availability of secure replacement equipment and continuity of essential service. The Energy Department can also phase in compliance, a detail that may matter for operators that depend on long lead times for grid hardware and that would need time to plan maintenance, procurement and outage scheduling.

The order does not impose a blanket ban on all foreign-made grid equipment. Restrictions depend on Energy Department determinations involving covered foreign entities and national security risks, and the department can establish a list of pre-qualified equipment and vendors.

The Energy Department has 120 days to publish implementing rules or regulations as needed, which could give the power industry a clearer picture of which suppliers and equipment may face restrictions.

Trump is also directing the federal government to reconsider how it purchases energy infrastructure. Within 180 days, the energy secretary must recommend changes to federal procurement rules aimed at addressing national security risks and prioritizing U.S.-manufactured energy infrastructure in federal procurement.

That provision could also affect business, shifting some federal demand away from foreign suppliers and toward domestic manufacturers as Washington seeks to secure the equipment underpinning an increasingly power-hungry U.S. economy.