(Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said on Thursday it is seeking comments on possible national security risks to the electric system from certain equipment and services providers.
FERC, which regulates the nation’s power grid, said it is seeking comments on reliability and security risks, and possible actions it should consider to address such risks.
“Huawei Technologies Co and ZTE Corp have been identified as examples of such entities because they provide communication systems and other equipment and services that are critical to bulk electric system reliability,” FERC said in a statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has pushed governments around the world to stop using Huawei’s 5G telecommunications equipment, arguing that the firm would convey data to the Chinese government for spying.
Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former engineer in China’s People’s Liberation Army, denies it spies for Beijing and says the United States is trying to smear it because Western firms are falling behind in 5G technology.
(Reporting by Asha Sistla in Bengaluru; Editing by Dan Grebler)
