It’s Time to Treat China’s Connected Energy Systems As a National Security Risk | RAND

Chinese batteries, turbines, and solar panels aren’t just hardware anymore—they’re smart, connected systems. That connectivity brings new security risks for importers.

It’s Time to Treat China’s Connected Energy Systems As a National Security Risk Commentary Jan 21, 2026 A worker produces battery parts for new energy vehicles at a workshop in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, February 6, 2025 Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto/Reuters By Francesca Ghiretti and Conlan Ellis This commentary was originally published by The Wire China on January 18, 2026. Electric vehicles, batteries, wind turbines and solar panels (PV) are no longer just mechanical assets-they are smart, connected systems. Their performance, safety and resilience depend on tightly integrated hardware a

related reading

• The Burn and the Choke: Why Semiconductor Controls Will Outlast China’s Rare Earth Weaponwarontherocks.com
• Chokepoints | Center for Security and Emerging Technologycset.georgetown.edu
• Biden Orders Commerce Investigation Into Chinese-Made 'Connected Vehicles'foreignpolicy.com
• Project Glasswing: Securing critical software for the AI era \ Anthropicanthropic.com
• Nicole Perlroth | Who's Winning the Cyberweapons Arms Race? | Jordan Harbingerjordanharbinger.com
• Putting the Biden Administration’s “New Economic Statecraft” in Context | Lawfarelawfaremedia.org
• How China hopes to secure its supply chain for critical minerals | MIT Technology Reviewtechnologyreview.com
• How China hopes to secure its supply chain for critical minerals | MIT Technology Reviewtechnologyreview.com
• The Semiconductor Supply Chain | Center for Security and Emerging Technologycset.georgetown.edu
• China Flaunts Its Offensive Cyber Powerwarontherocks.com
• The Mineral Conflict Is Herepalladiummag.com
• Removing Jeff Bezos From My Bed ◆ Truffle Security Co.trufflesecurity.com