Senators Demand Investigation Into Possible Chinese ‘Kill Switches’ in US Power Grid

The lawmakers said they were alarmed by reports that communist China ‘has already compromised the integrity of power inverters connecting to [U.S.] power grid.’

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) speaks during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 11, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Two Republican senators are urging the Commerce Department to launch an immediate investigation into Chinese-made solar products, given the possibility that the Chinese regime could weaponize them to undermine U.S national security.

Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent a letter on June 4 to Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler, pointing to reports disclosing rogue components inside Chinese solar power inverters.

“It’s terrifying that Communist China might have a kill switch hidden in solar panels operating in the U.S.,” Scott wrote on the social media platform X on Thursday.

“As President [Donald] Trump works to hold Communist China accountable and protect our national security, we must fully investigate China’s potential power over our power grid and take any necessary action to stop it.”

Scott is a member of the Homeland Security and Foreign Relations Committees. Blackburn sits on the Finance and Judiciary Committees.

A solar inverter converts DC (direct current) currents generated by solar panels when they capture sunlight into AC (alternating current) currents, which are then fed into electrical grids. Then, the electricity generated is funneled into household electrical sockets that power one’s everyday appliances like refrigerators and washing machines.

Inverters are often equipped with WiFi connection capability, which allows their users to monitor the inverter’s performance through software or a mobile app. As a result, these inverters are vulnerable to hacking, with the possibility that hackers intentionally shut down inverters to cause an outage or gain access to a Wi-Fi network to which the inverters are connected.

“We were alarmed by recent reports indicating that Communist China has already compromised the integrity of power inverters connecting to our power grid,” the lawmakers wrote. “These inverters contained unidentified communication equipment capable of transferring sensitive data outside the country.”

“We are concerned about recent reports indicating these CCP-manufactured parts and systems allow for remote access, unauthorized data exfiltration, and even operational disruption,” they said.

The letter cited a list of documented cases involving the Chinese regime’s cyber espionage, an intrusion against the United States, including telecommunication equipment made by now blacklisted Chinese tech company Huawei, data collection by China-owned app TikTok, Chinese cyber threat groups Volt Typhoon and Flax Typhoon targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, and Chinese cyber threat group Salt Typhoon against U.S. telecommunication networks.

“We have warned for years that any item made in Communist China or sold by companies based in Communist China can be used against the United States,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Every company based in Communist China reports to General Secretary Xi [Jinping], who can and will use his power to disable, degrade, or manipulate U.S. infrastructure systems, thereby denying Americans access to electricity, communication, water, and transportation.”

Chinese laws, such as the National Intelligence Law of 2017 and the 2021 Data Security Law, authorize China to harvest data from China-based commercial entities.

The lawmakers said communist China has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to ignore international agreements and “cheat the system to track, gain access to, and control sensitive data across the globe.”

“This regime cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed a ‘kill switch’ in our power grids.”