Trump Grid Security Order Puts US Clean Energy Buildout at Risk

A White House executive order signed in late August threatens to slow the United States’ own renewable energy expansion in the name of protecting critical grid infrastructure from foreign adversaries.

The order, dated August 26, restricts procurement of specific power-system hardware for installations operating at 69 kilovolts and above. It covers equipment from 24 nations — China chief among them — and applies to contracts signed after that date. The restrictions take effect only if the Department of Energy concludes that cybersecurity vulnerabilities, sabotage risks, or unauthorized remote-access capabilities pose an unacceptable threat.

Industry analysts say the consequences could be severe for domestic energy storage and high-voltage switching gear. Chinese manufacturers dominate the global storage market: the five largest suppliers control 39 percent of worldwide capacity and offer vertically integrated hardware covering everything from battery-cell fabrication to finished system assembly. Analyst Eric Hobbie has warned that for equipment rated at 345 kV and above, Chinese-made units may be the only commercially available new hardware through at least late summer 2028.

Restricting that supply could raise costs and delay projects designed to stabilize the national grid. Meanwhile, Chinese firms are already redirecting sales toward Eastern Europe, South America, and India — meaning competitive pricing will persist elsewhere even as US buyers face a constrained domestic market.

Whether American manufacturers can develop scalable, cost-competitive alternatives before the order’s active restrictions take full effect remains an open question with significant consequences for the pace of the US energy transition.

Source: Energy Storage News