Chinese-made renewable energy infrastructure may be posing security risks after unexplained communication equipment was found inside some of solar panel inverters, Reuters reports. The outlet says that two people familiar with the matter say that US energy officials are now reassessing where they stand with the tech.

Power inverters are used in solar powers across the world and are also found in batteries, heat pumps, and electric vehicle chargers. Inverters are built to allow remote access for updates though communications to China are typically blocked by firewalls installed by utility companies, however, communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some inverters.
"That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid," one of the sources said.

The potential for sabotage and espionag has alarmed some national security figures.

"We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption," said Mike Rogers, former director of the US National Security Agency. "I think that the Chinese are, in part, hoping that the widespread use of inverters limits the options that the West has to deal with the security issue."

The US Department of Energy acknowledged concerns about the functionality of imported technology. A spokesperson said the DOE “continually assesses risk associated with emerging technologies” and flagged the lack of transparency around hidden functions in hardware as a major issue.

"While this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical for those procuring to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products received," the spokesperson added.

Efforts are now underway to address the security issue through new disclosure tools, such as software bills of materials and stricter contractual requirements. 

Reuters could not confirm how many devices had been reviewed or how many were found to include rogue components. The Chinese manufacturers in question were not named, and the discoveries have not been publicly acknowledged by the US government. 

In response, the Chinese embassy in Washington pushed back against the allegations. "We oppose the generalization of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China's infrastructure achievements," a spokesperson said.