Washington, DC—SAFE applauds President Trump’s memorandum entitled, “Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 303 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as Amended, on Grid Infrastructure, Equipment, and Supply Chain Capacity.” This action is a critical step toward addressing mounting national security risks threatening the United States’ aging and constrained power grid.
The determination recognizes that limited U.S. manufacturing capacity, multi‑year lead times for large power transformers and other high‑voltage equipment, and continued reliance on foreign suppliers have created dangerous vulnerabilities for both civilian infrastructure and defense readiness.
“A resilient electric grid is the backbone of American power,” said Avery Ash, CEO of SAFE. “From defense readiness and industrial competitiveness to America’s ability to lead in advanced technologies like AI, nothing functions without reliable electricity. This determination properly elevates grid infrastructure and the industrial base that supports it as a national defense priority, and it aligns with what SAFE has long argued: rebuilding domestic capacity is essential to securing the nation against disruption, coercion, and crisis.”
SAFE’s report, Wired for Defense: The National Security Imperative of Transmission Expansion, documents how constrained transmission capacity places the Department of Defense and the broader economy at risk. The report finds that grid inadequacies already impose significant costs on military installations and divert resources toward expensive workarounds rather than addressing systemic weaknesses.
“President Trump’s Presidential Determination under the Defense Production represents a recognition of an operational reality: America’s electric grid must no longer be a critical constraint on both our economic competitiveness and our military readiness,” said Danielle Russo, Executive Director of SAFE’s Center for Grid Security. “This action spurs the production necessary to make grid security a baseline rather than a luxury. By expanding domestic manufacturing capacity for transformers, circuit breakers, and the supply chains that support them, we’re not just upgrading infrastructure. We’re restoring optionality to our military and emergency planners, who currently have no choice but to accept extended lead times and foreign dependencies when grid failures occur.”
Expanding domestic manufacturing capacity is an important first step, but it must be paired with policies that enable infrastructure to be deployed at the necessary speed and scale to meet national security demands.
“Manufacturing more equipment is necessary, but not sufficient,” Ash added. “Permitting and siting timelines that stretch close to a decade for transmission projects remain a binding constraint on grid resilience and defense readiness. If the United States is serious about securing its grid and supporting reindustrialization, permitting reform must advance alongside this action to ensure critical infrastructure can actually be built where and when it is needed.”
SAFE looks forward to working with the Administration, Congress, regulators, and industry partners to ensure the determination is implemented in a way that delivers durable domestic capacity, accelerates transmission expansion, and strengthens the grid as a force multiplier for U.S. national security.
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About SAFE
SAFE is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization committed to transportation, energy, and supply chain policies that advance the economic and national security of the United States, its partners, and allies. Since 2004, SAFE has worked with its Energy Security Leadership Council—a peerless coalition of current and former Fortune 500 CEOs and retired 4-star admirals and generals—to support secure, resilient, and sustainable energy solutions. Learn more at SecureEnergy.org.
