NSA warns Chinese-made solar panels used by American farmers have rogue communication devices implanted

A former National Security Agency (NSA) agent has warned that the Chinese are using rogue solar power inverters to gain access to U.S. infrastructure.

“It very much fits into the model of China implanting hardware in American critical infrastructure for the purpose of planning cyberattacks against the United States in the event of, say, a conflict with Taiwan or something along those lines,” former analyst Rocky Cole told Fox News.

His warning comes weeks after “rogue communication devices” were found in Chinese solar power inverters. China has, for its part, dismissed these rogue devices as a nothing burger:

Experts took apart some Chinese-made solar panels and found rogue, undocumented communication devices in the power inverters. [Which should surprise no one].

China’s response: “We oppose the generalization of the concept of national security”

Lol, you can’t make this shit up.

— Jeff M. Smith (@Cold_Peace_) May 17, 2025

According to Reuters, Chinese-made solar power inverters “that play a critical role in renewable energy infrastructure” in the United States were found to contain “communication equipment” that shouldn’t have been there.

“While inverters are built to allow remote access for updates and maintenance, the utility companies that use them typically install firewalls to prevent direct communication back to China,” Reuters noted.

“However, rogue communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some Chinese solar power inverters by U.S experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues,” the outlet added.

Cole doesn’t believe this is a coincidence.

“There are communications devices in these really strategic places that you can imagine could theoretically be used to disrupt U.S. commerce in the event of some sort of conflict,” he said. “It’s difficult not to view Chinese-made hardware in the realm of critical infrastructure as a national security threat in my mind.”

“Any time that there’s a supply chain outside the U.S. or U.S.-allied countries, that presents opportunities for what’s called intelligence parlance, supply chain operation, which means intelligence operatives work with the manufacturers to implant backdoors in the hardware,” he added.

“Without strict oversight of supply chains, it becomes very difficult to certify with any confidence that your hardware doesn’t contain these backdoors implanted in supply chain operations. I think it’s critically important that American officials are aware of the risks posed by Chinese-made hardware as it relates to critical infrastructure,” he concluded.

Former NSA Director Mike Rogers also suspects something’s up.

“We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption,” he told Reuters. “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.”

Whatever the case, it’s clear this is a massive security issue.

“Using the rogue communication devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilise power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts,” Reuters noted, citing experts.

“That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the  [U.S. power] grid,” one of the experts said.

A kill switch, per se.

Michael Shellenberger: How China Gained Control of Solar—And Why It Matters

“It’s now been revealed that the Chinese—who manufacture virtually all of our solar panels, both in the United States and Europe—have been installing cellular radios inside the inverters, which can act… pic.twitter.com/OLlUes3g4Z

— NTD Features (@NTDFeatures) June 1, 2025

These discoveries come amid escalating tensions between the United States and China.

“The threat we face from the Chinese Communist Party is real and growing,” Rep. August Pfluger, a Republican, told Reuters. “Whether it’s telecom hacks or remotely accessing solar and battery inverters, the CCP stops at nothing to target our sensitive infrastructure and components.”

“It is about time we ramp up our efforts to show China that compromising us will no longer be acceptable,” he added.

The good news is that some utility companies, “including Florida’s largest power supplier, Florida Power & Light Company, are attempting to minimize the use of Chinese inverters by sourcing equipment from elsewhere,” according to Reuters.

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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