Energy Alarm in the US: Trump Declares National Emergency

U.S. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency on August 26, citing foreign‑origin cyber threats that could target the country’s power grid.

The executive order signed by Trump bans the purchase and installation in the United States of certain foreign‑made electric‑system equipment and software deemed to pose risks to cybersecurity or operations. The regulation targets transactions involving large‑scale power systems, particularly those covering electricity generation and high‑voltage transmission infrastructure. Facilities used in local electric distribution are excluded from the order’s scope.

The order notes that some foreign actors are increasingly exploiting security vulnerabilities in the U.S. power system. It highlights that the electric grid supports many vital areas, from national defense and emergency services to critical infrastructure and the national economy.

The new regulation foresees intervention in operations that could sabotage, grant unauthorized access, or disrupt the system’s functioning. It was announced that risks capable of producing “catastrophic‑scale consequences” for the security or resilience of the U.S. critical infrastructure will also be evaluated under the order.

The Energy Minister was granted authority to set the necessary conditions and issue rules governing the implementation of the emergency order if equipment that raises security concerns continues to be used.

Chinese‑origin technologies under scrutiny

Cybersecurity experts say that the vulnerabilities in power grids represent a significant sabotage target for foreign actors. According to a study by Erika Langerová, a cybersecurity researcher from the Czech Technical University in Prague, China is conducting research on attack methods that could cause widespread power outages or system collapse.

In a 2025 article, Langerová argued that the widespread use of Chinese-made technologies in the energy infrastructure of Western countries increases risk. She highlighted that certain hardware and software used in zero‑emission energy projects could provide remote access capabilities.

Some U.S. senators also requested an investigation last year into claims that inverter systems produced in China and used to connect solar‑energy installations to the grid allow remote intervention. Republican senators Rick Scott and Marsha Blackburn expressed in a letter to the Department of Commerce that the parts in question could enable unauthorized data transfer, remote access, and disruption of system operation.

Attacks on critical infrastructure have risen

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced this year that public‑service providers are also targets of foreign hackers.

According to information released by the agency last month, more than 100 water and wastewater systems were attacked via programmable logic controllers that manage physical equipment in facilities. It was reported that attackers could disable alarm and automatic shutdown mechanisms, thereby endangering worker safety.

CISA also warned in July that Iranian‑linked cyber actors were targeting operational technology devices connected to critical infrastructure and open to the internet. FBI Cyber Division official Brett Leatherman said that Iranian actors were continuing activities aimed at U.S. critical infrastructure, and that work was ongoing to identify the perpetrators and halt their operations.

Trump had also appealed to federal authorities during his first term to limit the use of foreign products deemed to threaten national security. After returning to office, the Trump administration, using the same legal basis to strengthen domestic production, imposed tariffs on various goods such as steel, aluminum, copper, automobiles, trucks, lumber, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals.

Trump had also granted the Energy Department additional authority to strengthen the national electric grid with a decree signed in April. Under this regulation, the operation of some old and fossil‑fuel plants slated for closure or decommissioning was allowed to continue. The White House said the program kept about 17,000 megawatts of production capacity—equivalent to the consumption of roughly 12.7 million households—available.