Trump Declares Energy Emergency Over Chinese Solar Kill Switches
President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency after security experts found hidden kill switches in Chinese-made solar inverters sold to the U.S. and Europe.
U.S. security experts discovered undocumented kill switches and rogue communication devices embedded in Chinese-made solar power inverters sold within the United States. These devices allow for remote modification of settings or the complete switching off of inverters, creating vulnerabilities that experts warn could damage energy infrastructure, destabilize power grids, and trigger widespread blackouts.
Donald Trump responded to these security risks by declaring a national energy emergency. The president's order aims to upgrade domestic infrastructure and reduce the United States' reliance on foreign energy sources. The Chinese embassy in Washington dismissed the allegations regarding the embedded devices.
The security concerns extend to Europe, where the European Solar Manufacturing Council estimates that more than 200 gigawatts of solar capacity rely on Chinese inverters. In the wake of these discoveries, the Empowerment Alliance proposed the Affordable, Reliable and Clean Energy Security act (ARC-ES), which would mandate the use of domestically produced energy infrastructure and sources to mitigate future risks.
