Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Trump administration is declaring a national emergency over America's power grid, signing an executive order that could prohibit foreign-made power equipment from being used across the country's aging energy infrastructure.
The order, signed by President Trump, gives the Energy Department broad new authority to block transactions involving foreign-made equipment from countries considered national security threats. It also targets equipment already installed on the grid, citing concerns that foreign actors could exploit hidden vulnerabilities — including malware — to sabotage the system.
The White House says the move is necessary as the country's electricity demands grow, driven largely by the boom in artificial intelligence and data centers.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been signaling for months that the grid would become a priority.
"What's the most important source of energy for AI? Electricity," Wright said in May. "So we have to fix this bureaucratic and complex electricity grid so that it can grow fast — it can grow like our primary energy production — and it can keep up with AI. If we don't do that, we're going to slow down AI."
The executive order does not name China directly. Still, the country is a global leader in manufacturing bulk-power system equipment — the kind used in high-voltage transmission lines, substations and grid control systems nationwide.
Yuri Dvorkin, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies energy systems, called the move overdue.
"That is a long overdue action, and actually this administration, as well as the previous one, are to be commended for taking this decisive action, because for a long time, the security threat has been real," Dvorkin said.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/nation-world/white-house-declares-national-emergency-over-foreign-parts-used-in-power-grid-ai-electricity-chris-wright-united-states-data-centers
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The Trump administration is declaring a national emergency over America's power grid, signing an executive order that could prohibit foreign-made power equipment from being used across the country's aging energy infrastructure.
The order, signed by President Trump, gives the Energy Department broad new authority to block transactions involving foreign-made equipment from countries considered national security threats. It also targets equipment already installed on the grid, citing concerns that foreign actors could exploit hidden vulnerabilities — including malware — to sabotage the system.
The White House says the move is necessary as the country's electricity demands grow, driven largely by the boom in artificial intelligence and data centers.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been signaling for months that the grid would become a priority.
"What's the most important source of energy for AI? Electricity," Wright said in May. "So we have to fix this bureaucratic and complex electricity grid so that it can grow fast — it can grow like our primary energy production — and it can keep up with AI. If we don't do that, we're going to slow down AI."
The executive order does not name China directly. Still, the country is a global leader in manufacturing bulk-power system equipment — the kind used in high-voltage transmission lines, substations and grid control systems nationwide.
Yuri Dvorkin, an engineering professor at Johns Hopkins University who studies energy systems, called the move overdue.
"That is a long overdue action, and actually this administration, as well as the previous one, are to be commended for taking this decisive action, because for a long time, the security threat has been real," Dvorkin said.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/nation-world/white-house-declares-national-emergency-over-foreign-parts-used-in-power-grid-ai-electricity-chris-wright-united-states-data-centers
_______________
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13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A
For more information, visit 13wham.com
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
