Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On May 1, 2020, the White House issued an executive order on securing the United States bulk-power system (the “Order”), finding that foreign adversaries are creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in the U.S. bulk-power system (“BPS") and determining that unrestricted foreign supply of BPS equipment constitutes an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to national security. The Order imposes restrictions on certain transactions involving BPS equipment in which foreign adversaries of the United States have an interest.

The Order authorizes the Secretary of Energy to identify existing BPS equipment that poses a security threat and to recommend measures to mitigate such threats. It establishes a task force to protect the United States from national security threats to energy infrastructure by developing federal energy infrastructure procurement policies and procedures.

For more detail, read the full alert.