The Federal Communications Commission has banned the importation of new internationally manufactured power inverters, such as those used in solar PV and energy storage projects, into the United States.
Yesterday the FCC added “foreign manufactured power converters” to a list of communications products and services that it considers a risk to national security, citing alleged risks to the supply chain and cybersecurity of electrical infrastructure.
“These vulnerabilities could allow foreign companies to disable the inverters or use them to collect and exfiltrate data, facilitate remote access and surveillance by foreign government actors, or otherwise be exploited through a cyberattack,” the spokesperson said. submit public notice states.
Only international inverters conditionally approved by the FCC can be imported into the United States. Receiving that designation requires filing an application with the FCC.
“I welcome these executive branch national security decisions, and am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign-produced advanced robotics and power converters to the FCC’s Covered List,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. a press release. “Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will continue to do our part to secure America’s critical supply chains, and with today’s action, the FCC is acting in close coordination with our national security agencies to do just that.”
An interagency Executive Branch, whose membership was not disclosed, directed the FCC to ban foreign converters. The agency claims that inverters that have already been purchased, approved by the FCC or already in use are not subject to the ban. New models of power inverters are only eligible for import if they are approved by the FCC. Older models can still be imported.
While this ban takes effect immediately, questions remain about how it will impact interconnection for solar and energy storage projects and inverter procurement in the future. This announcement comes six months after a Department of Energy investigation found that a sample of inverters manufactured in China did not contain malicious software.
This is a development story. World of solar energy has reached out to solar inverter manufacturers and industry members for further comment.
