U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring a national emergency over foreign threats involving bulk-power system electric equipment and restricting certain foreign-produced equipment from being purchased or installed in the country.

The order focuses on foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment that may present national security vulnerabilities.

The order generally prohibits purchasing or installing certain foreign-produced bulk-power system electric equipment, including associated critical software and digital capabilities, in the U.S. when it could pose cybersecurity or operational risks. It also allows purchases and installations to be subject to conditions intended to address those risks.

The restrictions focus on transactions involving foreign nationals that pose an undue risk of sabotage, unauthorized access, or other disruption. They also cover transactions presenting an undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security or resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure or an unacceptable risk to U.S. security.

Facilities used for the local distribution of electricity are excluded from the order.

The declaration of national emergency comes weeks after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission added grid-connected power inverters manufactured in foreign countries to its Covered List, preventing new models from receiving the equipment authorization generally required for their import, marketing, and sale in the country.

The decision followed a national security assessment which concluded that foreign-produced connected power inverters could create supply chain vulnerabilities that could disrupt the U.S. economy and national security and expose critical infrastructure to cybersecurity risks.

Energy Department to Implement Rule

The order authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Energy to impose conditions on the continued use and operation of relevant equipment to address identified concerns.

The Secretary of Energy must also publish rules needed to implement the order. In consultation with Cabinet members, the Secretary must identify bulk-power system electric equipment that may pose the risks covered by the order and prepare recommendations for the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs.

The White House said continued reliance on foreign sources of bulk-power system electric equipment creates supply chain vulnerabilities for the U.S. It also said existing restrictions on the acquisition or operation of foreign-produced equipment allow some foreign entities to create and exploit vulnerabilities.

The administration said the bulk-power system supports national defense, emergency services, critical infrastructure, and the economy.

Previous Measures

The White House also cited earlier actions concerning the country’s electricity system and critical supply chains.

Recently, Trump signed a proclamation addressing drone imports, their components, and the domestic drone supply chain.

In July 2026, he signed another order concerning defense supply chains and critical materials and components used to manufacture defense equipment.

In April last year, Trump signed an executive order to strengthen and secure the U.S. electric grid. According to the White House, the action left 17,000 MW of perfectly good power plants from being forced offline due to weaponization of state and Federal environmental regulations.