Domestic production of transformers and other electric grid components have been in short supply. In June, President Joe Biden granted emergency authority to the Department of Energy to suspend its efficiency rules on transformer manufacturers to allow increased production of these important products.
Biden signed orders allowing DOE to use the Defense Production Act to help manufacturers increase their output of transformers.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which has been bringing concerns about the supply chain to lawmakers’ attention, praised the president for this move.
“The Biden administration’s use of the Defense Production Act to shorten lead times for supplies of electric transformers is a much-needed step to support reliability and resilience,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson in a statement.