FCC Drafts Rule to Ban Chinese Solar and Battery Inverters

The Federal Communications Commission is drafting a rule to prohibit imports of Chinese-made solar and battery inverters over possible risks to the U.S. power grid. The rule would apply only to new foreign models and could be published as early as this year, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Inverters convert power from solar panels or batteries into electricity for homes and businesses. China leads global production of the devices, with major manufacturers including Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei.

U.S. experts last year found rogue communication devices inside Chinese solar inverters after examining grid-connected equipment. Beijing also imposed export controls last year on rare earth minerals used in defense and energy technology. The Trump administration previously directed the Commerce Department to prepare an expedited ban, though those efforts stalled before being revived after the European Commission banned Chinese inverters for publicly funded projects in May.

24 percent of inverters imported into the U.S. in 2024 came from China, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The Department of War is already barred from using solar equipment made by foreign entities of concern, including Chinese firms.