US finds 'kill switches' on solar panels sold by China - sparking fears of energy grid attack
Engineers on American solar farms have discovered secret switches installed in Chinese-manufactured parts which could wreak havoc on Western power grids.
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U.S. energy officials are assessing the risk posed by the unexplained communication devices found inside power inverters - components of renewable energy systems that connect solar panels to electricity grids - that were manufactured in China.
Power inverters are usually built to allow remote communication access, to carry out updates and maintenance, but the companies that use them typically install firewalls to prevent direct communication to China.
The rogue communication devices found in the American power inverters give them additional secret communication channels.
The discovery has sparked fears that China may use these communication devices to switch off power inverters remotely, or change their settings, which could wreak havoc on Western power grids.
The devices could destabilise power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts.
One source familiar with the matter told an outlet they are "built-in way to physically destroy the grid."
The US government has not publicly acknowledged the discoveries, and the existence of the rogue devices had not previously been reported.
Asked for comment by Reuters, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said it continually assesses risk associated with emerging technologies and that there were significant challenges with manufacturers disclosing and documenting functionalities.
The source also told Reuters that more unexplained communication devices, including cellular radios, have been found in batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers over the past nine months.
Mike Rogers, a former director of the US National Security Agency, said: "We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption."
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: "We oppose the generalisation of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China's infrastructure achievements."
Two former U.S. government officials have said that the U.S. and other countries are reassessing China's role in strategic infrastructure due to escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.
Renewable energy systems across the Western world rely on Chinese-manufactured parts. It is not yet known if the "kill switches" are present in any power converters on UK solar farms.
Nonetheless, shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie yesterday asked Labour's Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, to order an 'immediate pause and review' of its efforts to transition to green power.
Bowie told The Telegraph yesterday: "Ed Miliband's Made in China transition – clean power at the expense of everything else – is a threat to our national security and makes a mockery of his claims on energy security."
The discovery of the devices in American solar panels follows a pledge from British energy minister Michael Shanks earlier this week to put solar panels on "every possible rooftop right across the country."
Government plans will also force house builders to fit solar panels on all new properties by 2027.