Fears are growing that Chinese-made electronics could leave the US in the dark during a cyber attack

Experts are warning that certain Chinese-made electronics used widely by U.S. power companies could be vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to a new report.

New research has revealed that many U.S. power companies rely on Chinese-made inverters, The Washington Post reports, citing an analysis by Strider Technologies. But these devices could be vulnerable to hacking, leaving the U.S. open to attacks that could cause widespread blackouts, according to the outlet.

Inverters are small electronic devices that enable solar power installations to convert the sun’s energy into a current that our energy grid can use. They’re also found in everyday devices such as household appliances and electric vehicle chargers.

About 85 percent of U.S. utilities surveyed by Strider Technologies use inverter devices assembled by companies tied to the Chinese government or military, according to the Post. Some researchers and cybersecurity experts are warning that these inverters could be accessed remotely, leaving solar power installations vulnerable to attacks that could leave regions in the dark, according to the Post.

However, Chinese officials have said these warnings are unfounded, the outlet reported.

An unnamed U.S. official told the Post: “You don’t need to turn off the entire western area power [grid] to create societal panic. All you need to do is create some number of significant incidents that are widely reported to create the same effect.”

Thomas Fanning, chair of the executive committee of the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure, told the Post that these attacks could do more than cause blackouts. They could even potentially compromise “other critical sector systems, including finance and communications,” he said.

This comes after Reuters reported in May that “rogue communication devices” were found in some Chinese-made solar power inverters used by U.S. companies. These devices could allow hackers to overcome firewalls and cause widespread blackouts, the outlet reported.

“That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid,” an unnamed source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Lawmakers are starting to voice their concerns about Chinese-made inverters, too.

More than 50 Republicans in the House of Representatives wrote to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last month, calling on his department to “use its authority to block future imports of Chinese equipment used in critical infrastructure nationwide.”

The letter cited the Reuters investigation, and specifically pointed to “utility-scale solar and battery inverters.”

“Increasing our reliance on China for inverters and critical grid equipment is a mistake, especially as we have ample supply domestically and from allied nations that would not expose our national security to unacceptable risks,” the letter reads.

The Energy Department told the Post that energy project developers must understand “the capabilities of the products received,” and that President Donald Trump’s administration is committed to “reducing dependence on foreign supply chains.”

The Independent has contacted the Energy Department for comment.