Energy Video, Week 1 Feb 2024: FBI Warns of Chinese State-Sponsored Attempt to Hack Into U.S. Grid

FBI Director Chris Wray tells House lawmakers that his agency has identified and disrupted a Chinese state-backed initiative to plant malware in civilian infrastructure including water treatment plants, the power grid, and transportation systems. The FBI operation disrupted a botnet consisting of hundreds of small office and home routers that had been hijacked by Chinese hackers to cover their tracks as they planted the malware in targets.

Chinese manufacturers reportedly have 10 GWh of annual solid-state battery production capacity, with over 128 GWh of additional capacity planned through 2025.

Battery recycling company Redwood starts construction on $3.5 bn South Carolina ‘Battery Materials Campus’ that will eventually yield up to 100 GWh worth annually of reclaimed battery materials, with the potential for more expansion if markets warrant.

Daimler Truck North America, Navistar, and Volvo Group North America, (accounting for estimated 70% of all U.S. medium-duty and heavy-duty truck sales) form PACT, a coalition to advocate for accelerating the build-out of nationwide infrastructure to support medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.

In reporting to Texas regulators recently on lessons from Winter Storm Uri, an official from NERC advises increased collaboration between electric and gas sectors, as well as investigating new ways of providing black-start capability, including batteries.

Germany’s market for on-site storage increases 150% in 2023, with over 1 million cumulative country-wide installations, storing an estimated 12,000 megawatthours.