US Considers Banning Chinese-Made Solar Inverters Amid Grid Security Concerns

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is considering a ban on imported solar inverters, citing concerns that China could use the devices to disrupt power grids, according to five people familiar with the matter. Power inverters are a critical interface that connect solar panels and wind turbines to the electricity grid.

The proposed restrictions, drafted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), would apply to new foreign-made inverters and could be announced as soon as this year, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The move follows a decision by the European Commission to ban Chinese-made inverters in energy projects funded by public money, which prompted the Trump administration to revive the measure. However, the proposal could still change or be dropped altogether.

The FCC and the White House declined to comment on the draft proposal. China's embassy in Washington stated it "firmly opposes the indefinite expansion of the concept of national security and the unreasonable suppression of Chinese enterprises," and called on the U.S. to provide a "fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment" for Chinese companies.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton welcomed the potential ban, stating in a release to Reuters that relying on Chinese inverters "puts our entire grid at risk" and that he "fully supports any effort to ban these dangerous products."

China is the world's largest manufacturer of inverters, with Sungrow Power Supply Co. being a leading player in the industry.

Reuters reported last year that U.S. experts found hidden "ghost" communication devices in some Chinese-made solar inverters connected to the grid during security inspections, which were not listed in the product documentation.

"European and American countries are realizing the risk to their own power system control if inverters are subject to foreign control," said Uri Sadot, CEO of energy security firm SolarDefend.

Heather Conley, an expert on European affairs at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute in Washington, said the Group of Seven (G7) nations reached a consensus in June to collectively reduce reliance on Chinese critical minerals, and the proposed U.S. measure could signal "greater transatlantic alignment on China."

Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense is already explicitly prohibited from purchasing solar photovoltaic components, modules, or inverters manufactured by "foreign entities of concern," which includes Chinese companies. Chinese companies. companies. (Compiled by Zhang Mingxuan) 1150701