By Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
Undisclosed communications devices allegedly discovered in Chinese-made solar panels and related equipment have raised concerns among US officials about the vulnerability of the country’s power grid, according to Reuters.
These “rogue” devices, discovered over the past nine months, have the potential to destabilize energy infrastructure and cause widespread power outages, sources familiar with the matter told the publication.
Undocumented devices, including cellular radios, were detected in solar inverters, batteries, electric car chargers, and heat pumps manufactured by several Chinese suppliers.
US experts discovered these components during safety inspections of renewable energy devices, prompting a reassessment of the risks associated with these products.
Inverters, which are critical for connecting solar panels and wind turbines to the power grid, are mainly manufactured in China, raising concerns about their safety.
“We know that China believes there is value in risking the destruction or disruption of at least some of our critical infrastructure,” said Mike Rogers, former director of the US National Security Agency.
“I think the Chinese are partly hoping that the widespread use of inverters will limit the West’s ability to address the security issue,” Rogers further emphasized.
Experts warn that these rogue devices can bypass firewalls, allowing remote manipulation of inverter settings or even turning off the devices completely.
Such activities can disrupt power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and cause power outages.
“This essentially means that the power grid can be physically destroyed,” another source told Reuters.
This discovery adds to long-standing warnings from energy and security experts about the risks of relying on green energy products made in China.
Concerns about espionage and sabotage have grown as the US continues to integrate these technologies into its energy systems.
In December 2023, Republican officials, including former Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher and then-Senator Marco Rubio, called on Duke Energy to stop using Chinese-made CATL batteries at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, citing surveillance risks.
“Immediately after our inquiry, Duke disconnected the Chinese-made systems from the power grid,” Gallagher and Rubio said in a February 2024 press release.
“Others who continue to do business with CATL and other companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party should take note,” they added.
The Department of Energy (DOE) acknowledged the problem, and a spokesperson told Reuters that the department continually assesses the risks associated with new technologies.
“While this feature may not have malicious intent, it is crucial for procurers to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products they receive,” the spokesperson said.
The Department of Energy is working to strengthen domestic supply chains and improve transparency through initiatives such as the “Software Bill of Materials,” which lists all components of software applications.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations, saying: “We oppose the generalization [sic] of the concept of national security, which distorts and tarnishes China’s infrastructure achievements.”
