WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump directed the commerce secretary and the U.S. trade representative on Thursday to negotiate agreements on wind turbine imports, after concurring with a finding that those imports threaten to impair national security, the White House said in a proclamation.
The proclamation imposes no new tariffs. Trump said he may consider other remedies depending on the status or outcome of the talks. Nothing in the document modifies the tariffs already in place on aluminum, steel and copper.
The commerce secretary’s report, sent to Trump within the past 90 days, found that wind energy products carry cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Those flaws could allow remote control access to turbines and cause power disruption, according to the proclamation.
Inverters drew specific attention. The report said the vast majority of inverters are produced outside the United States. Inverters convert the electricity turbines generate into a form the grid or local systems can use. Modern networked versions can be exploited to gain remote access and interfere with U.S. power systems, the report found.
Radar was a second concern. Turbines can create clutter that reduces detection sensitivity, obscures potential targets and scatters radio wave returns, the proclamation said. The effects reach air traffic control, weather forecasting, homeland security and national defense missions.
The report also called wind energy unreliable and intermittent. Grid operators must often rely on fast-ramping fossil fuel backup generators to offset that variability, the proclamation said. That raises operational costs and maintenance burdens. Resources spent supporting wind could instead strengthen more reliable sources, it added.
On supply, the secretary found that imports of turbine components and subcomponents have risen over the last decade. Domestic manufacturing capacity for some products, such as blades, has not meaningfully increased.
Trump directed the two officials to update him on the negotiations from time to time, with at least one update due within 180 days. The commerce secretary is also to keep monitoring the imports. He is to tell the president of any circumstances that, in his opinion, might point to a need for further action.
Have something to promote?
Bring your business, services or event to our readers.
