Witnesses Sound Alarm on Transformers, Supply Chains and Cyber Risks to the Grid

At Thursday’s hearing, members and utility witnesses raised concerns about the nation’s limited domestic capacity for large transformers and other critical grid components, and emphasized cybersecurity and mutual assistance as essential to resilience.

Representative Mike Turner and others referenced a past attack on transformers and stressed limited spare inventories. Todd Brickhouse and other utility witnesses said much of the U.S. transformer supply chain is offshore or concentrated, creating lead times measured in months or years for replacement. They warned a wide‑area catastrophic geomagnetic event or a coordinated physical attack could require prolonged recovery if replacement equipment and skilled labor are not available quickly.

Witnesses also discussed cyber threats. Basin Electric described participation in federal and industry programs — including the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Program and information‑sharing with national intelligence agencies — and stressed the need for coordinated federal support. Southern Company described extensive hurricane response and mutual assistance programs that bring crews nationwide to restore service after storms.

Members asked for clearer plans and more domestic manufacturing capacity for critical equipment, and stressed the need for guardrails on procurement and domestic industrial policy to reduce exposure to foreign supply interruptions. Witnesses urged greater federal coordination, workforce investment and policies that support domestic production of critical grid hardware.