President Trump Issues Executive Order to Secure U.S. Energy Grid from Foreign Equipment Risks
On August 26, President Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency to protect the U.S. bulk-power system from foreign-produced electrical equipment. This order specifically targets components such as transformers, generators, inverters, and associated software that could potentially contain hidden communication devices or unauthorized remote access pathways. The executive order is a response to national security concerns, including reports of rogue communication devices found in solar inverters and cyberattacks on U.S. water facilities. The order invokes emergency powers, using the legal language of an "unusual and extraordinary" foreign threat, which grants the executive branch broader authority to act without new legislation from Congress. The Department of Energy has been given 120 days to issue implementing regulations, and the Secretary of Energy will have the authority to evaluate existing at-risk equipment and mandate mitigation measures, ranging from software patches to physical...