FCC Bars New Foreign Power Inverters From US Market as 65% Domestic Content Rule Bites
Updated
Updated · Troutman Pepper · Aug 10
FCC Bars New Foreign Power Inverters From US Market as 65% Domestic Content Rule Bites
3 articles · Updated · Troutman Pepper · Aug 10
Summary
July 28 marked the FCC’s addition of foreign-produced power inverters to its Covered List, blocking new networked models from U.S. equipment authorization and therefore from legal import, marketing or sale.
A July 27 national security determination cited two risks: U.S. dependence on foreign inverter supply chains and remote-enabled cybersecurity threats that could disrupt grid equipment, steal data or enable surveillance.
The restriction applies only to new authorizations, leaving previously approved models untouched for now, though the FCC has revisited existing approvals in other Covered List cases.
Manufacturers can still seek case-by-case conditional approval from the Defense or Homeland Security departments, but reviews are not guaranteed and may require disclosure of proprietary product and network information.
The move extends beyond solar into storage, wind, EV charging and microgrids, while tying inverter eligibility to Buy American Act thresholds now set at 65% domestic content and rising to 75% in 2029.