The PROTECT the Grid Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to assess national security vulnerabilities to the U.S. electric grid posed by internet-connected appliances (such as smart air conditioners, electric vehicle chargers, and water heaters) controlled by foreign adversaries, particularly China. The bill expresses concern that companies from adversarial nations could remotely manipulate these high-wattage devices to cause coordinated power demand attacks that destabilize the grid and trigger blackouts. Within 270 days of enactment, the Commerce Secretary must submit a report to Congress with findings on these risks and recommendations for mitigation—potentially including restrictions on federal procurement of affected products, certification requirements, or applying existing national security authorities to IoT devices. The legislation also codifies an existing executive order on securing the technology supply chain into federal law, expanding its scope to address smart appliances that could threaten critical infrastructure.
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