Trump looks to secure US power grid from foreign attacks

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at securing the nation’s electricity system from foreign adversaries, a move that could restrict certain overseas companies from exporting products to
the US.
The order, which doesn’t name any specific countries or companies, blocks US purchases of certain power-system equipment from entities deemed a risk to national security. It empowers the secretary of energy to identify those parties and establish criteria for restricting transactions with them. The order also establishes a new task force on federal energy infrastructure procurement.
“It is imperative the bulk-power system be secured against exploitation and attacks by foreign threats,” US Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said. “This executive order will greatly diminish the ability of foreign adversaries to target our critical electric infrastructure.”
Foreign-produced equipment subject to the restrictions include transformers, capacitors, and metering equipment used in power transmission.
The order could result in more of those parts being manufactured in the US, according to a senior Energy Department official, who asked not be named, citing agency policy.
In his order, Trump declared a national emergency relating to threats against the bulk power system and accused foreign
adversaries of “increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities” in the US grid. The task force has to submit a report to the president within a year of the date of the order.
“This executive order is an important first step to address dangerous cyber-related vulnerabilities in the electric sector supply chain,” said Jim Cunningham, executive director of Protect Our Power, a nonprofit that works to strengthen the grid.