The Federal Communications Commission has banned internationally manufactured power inverters, like those used in solar PV and energy storage projects, from being imported into the United States.
Yesterday, the FCC added “foreign-produced power inverters” to a list of communications products and services that it considers a risk to national security, citing alleged risks for supply chain and cybersecurity for electrical infrastructure.
“These vulnerabilities could enable foreign firms to turn off the inverters or use them to collect and exfiltrate data, facilitate remote access and surveillance by foreign government actors, or be otherwise exploited through a cyberattack,” the public notice filing states.
Only international inverters conditionally approved by the FCC can be imported into the United States. Receiving that designation requires submitting an application to the FCC.
“I welcome these executive branch national security determinations, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign produced advanced robotics and power inverters to the FCC’s Covered List,” said Brendan Carr, FCC chairman, in 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 lock step with our national security agencies to do just that.”
An “Executive Branch interagency body,” whose membership was not disclosed, directed the FCC to ban foreign inverters. The agency claims that inverters that have already been purchased, approved by the FCC or already in operation are not affected by the ban. New models of power inverters will only be eligible for import if approved by the FCC. Older models can still be imported.
While this ban is effective immediately, questions remain about how it will affect interconnection for solar and energy storage projects and inverter procurement moving forward. This announcement arrives six months after a Dept. of Energy investigation determined that a sampling of Chinese-manufactured inverters didn’t contain malicious software.
This is a developing story. Solar Power World has reached out to solar inverter manufacturers and industry members for further comment.
