PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: U.S. energy officials uncovered undocumented communication devices in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries, raising fears of remote cyberattacks that could disrupt America’s power grid.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump’s administration, U.S. energy officials, Chinese firms like Huawei and Sungrow, and European solar trade bodies.
📍 Where & When: United States, with the discovery reported by Reuters on May 14, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “With over 200GW of Europe’s solar capacity relying on these inverters… the security risk is systemic,” warned the European Solar Manufacturing Council.
⚠️Impact: Trump’s focus on exposing Chinese tech threats strengthens national security, potentially spurring domestic manufacturing and safeguarding America’s energy infrastructure.
IN FULL:
U.S. energy officials have uncovered rogue communication devices embedded in Chinese-made solar inverters and batteries. Reuters reports these undocumented devices could enable remote access, bypassing cybersecurity firewalls and allowing adversaries to disrupt America’s power grid.
Solar inverters, the digital “brains” of photovoltaic systems, are critical to energy production, and Chinese firms like Huawei and Sungrow control over 50 percent of the global market. The discovery of these devices, which could theoretically let hackers trigger blackouts or damage infrastructure, validates President Donald J. Trump’s warnings about China’s influence over critical systems, aligning with the America First leader’s push to secure U.S. energy independence.
The alarm extends beyond America’s borders. The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) called the issue a “systemic” risk, noting that 200GW of Europe’s solar capacity—equivalent to 200 nuclear plants—relies on these inverters. The ESMC urged the European Commission—the European Union’s unelected executive—to probe sabotage and espionage risks. SolarPower Europe and consultancy DNV echoed these concerns in a recent report, warning that an attack on just 3GW of inverter capacity could destabilize power systems.
At Intersolar Europe in Munich, a leading European inverter manufacturer previously likened the threat to Russia’s gas supply cuts post-Ukraine invasion, telling PV Tech, “It’s very clear inverter companies could switch off the grid if they want to.”
