The Grid Emergency Order Is a Warning for Every Plant Floor
A new executive order restricts foreign-made grid equipment, including PLCs and inverters. See what it means for manufacturers and how to assess OT risk.
Summary
On Aug. 26, 2026, the White House issued Executive Order 14421, declaring a national emergency to secure the U.S. bulk-power system (WhiteHouse.gov). The order cites the risk of foreign actors building "digital backdoors" into grid equipment. It prohibits the acquisition, import, transfer or installation of foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment made or supplied by "Covered Foreign Entities" when that equipment is determined to pose undue risk of sabotage, subversion or supply disruption.
The equipment in scope includes substation transformers, grid-connected inverters, battery storage systems, protective relays, circuit breakers and industrial control systems, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and intelligent electronic devices. The Secretary of Energy leads implementation. Regulations are due within 120 days, which puts the deadline around late December, and federal procurement recommendations are due within 180 days.
The InfoSight take: if the grid can't trust foreign-made controllers, can your plant?
The order is aimed at the power grid, but the risk it describes isn't limited to utilities. The PLCs, controllers and industrial control systems it names also run production lines, packaging operations and facility systems across manufacturing. Many organizations don't have a complete inventory of what's on their OT network, who made it or who can reach it remotely.
Proof beats assumption. Here's how InfoSight helps:
Know what's on your network. Continuous visibility into vulnerabilities and risk across your environment, so you're not guessing about exposed or outdated systems.
Vendor and supply chain risk. InfoSight helps you assess the vendors, integrators and remote-access providers connected to your operations before they become your weakest link.
24/7 SOC monitoring, Powered by AI, Fueled by Experts. Our analysts watch for unusual activity, including unexpected connections to and from operational systems, and investigate it before it becomes downtime.
For manufacturers, the lesson of EO 14421 is simple: supply chain security now starts with knowing where your equipment came from.
Do you know what's running on your plant floor, and who can reach it?
Stay ahead of evolving threats with expert insights
Subscribe to our newsletter to keep you updated on the latest cybersecurity insights & resources.
One follow-up from a security expert—no spam, ever.