President Trump signed an executive order Friday barring U.S. purchases of certain foreign-produced power equipment, a move meant to reduce national security risks to the electricity system.
“It is imperative the bulk-power system be secured against exploitation and attacks by foreign threats,” Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said in a statement. The order “will greatly diminish the ability of foreign adversaries to target our critical electric infrastructure.”
Examples of bulk-power system equipment include substations, control rooms, substation transformers, and generators that are necessary to operate the interconnected electricity grid and maintain reliable generation, according to the order.
The order prohibits any bulk-power system transactions in which a foreign country or national has an interest or that “poses an unacceptable risk to national security.” It also authorizes the secretary of energy to implement the order, including by identifying vendors that might pose a risk and developing strategies to identify and replace any now-prohibited equipment already in use.
Brouillette will also lead a new task force developed by the order to establish a coordinated federal policy on energy infrastructure procurement. That task force will review how national security risks are considered in energy security and cybersecurity policy, and it will consult with the electricity and natural gas subsector coordinating councils, according to the order.
The order doesn’t name any specific countries the White House considers a particular risk, though a report from national intelligence officials last year said Russia has the ability to execute cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, “such as disrupting an electrical distribution network for at least a few hours.”
