The Electrotech Stack at Risk: China, AI, and America's Energy Supply Chains

The United States is in the early stages of a generational energy buildout driven by soaring AI demand and accelerating digitization of the grid itself. But even as hundreds of billions of dollars flow into batteries, power electronics, and the embedded software that will give America's electrical infrastructure its digital nervous system, the United States remains dependent on China for the tools to build it. Beijing dominates much of this "electrotech stack," and that dependence is not only creating supply vulnerabilities – it’s threatening to undermine the very security advantages a modernized grid is meant to deliver. The most pressing danger, however, may not be Chinese hardware but rather American policy paralysis: overcorrection that delays the technologies this buildout demands, or indecision that continues ceding strategic ground to Beijing. A new paper by FDD and Carnegie Mellon's Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST), Electrotech Moneyball: An Industrial Strategy for Ranking Risk and Opportunity in Energy & AI Supply Chains, responds to this moment with a clear framework for achieving the greatest strategic return. To discuss “Electrotech Moneyball,” FDD and CMIST will host a discussion moderated by Harry Krejsa, director of studies at CMIST, featuring Phoebe Benich, non-resident fellow at CMIST; RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI); Jackie Siebens, vice president of Public Affairs at Helion Energy and non-resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council; and Dr. Emma Stewart, non-resident fellow at CMIST and lead for Idaho National Laboratory's Center for Securing Digital Energy Technology. — 🌐 FDD is a nonpartisan research institute focused on national security & foreign policy. Subscribe to @FDD on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC92qc2WwrEdmJ7ThqGR9yfw?sub_confirmation=1 Follow FDD: 🔗 X: https://x.com/FDD/ 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundation-for-defense-of-democracies/ 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fdd_org/ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followFDD/ 🔗 Website: https://www.fdd.org/ Listen to FDD Podcasts: 🎙️ Morning Brief: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEsAFBNkqsN_iDwsy2Q3CygonqiwtEcc 🎙️ Foreign Podicy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEsAFBNkqsOTj86AthTC_2kZRPMej2op 🎙️ The Iran Breakdown: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmEsAFBNkqsMQnt5pypwEX0ul0NyIjd3E The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. FDD does not accept donations from any foreign governments. FDD conducts in-depth research, produces accurate and timely analyses, identifies illicit activities, and provides policy options — all with the aim of strengthening U.S. national security and reducing or eliminating threats posed by adversaries and enemies of the United States and other free nations. Founded shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, FDD conducts actionable research prepared by experts and scholars from a variety of backgrounds — including government, intelligence, military, private sector, academia, and journalism. It brings proficiency in foreign languages, law, finance, technology, and other skills to its work. FDD regularly provides open-source research and analyses to policymakers and the media. Since its founding, FDD has shared its expertise with the Bush, Obama, Biden, and Trump administrations and congressional offices on a bipartisan basis. In addition to its in-house experts, FDD collaborates with and seeks counsel from a range of distinguished advisors. FDD houses three Centers on American Power: the Center on Military and Political Power, the Center on Economic and Financial Power, and the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation. FDD Experts: https://www.fdd.org/team/fdd-team/ FDD Advisors: https://www.fdd.org/team/advisors/ FDD Centers on American Power: https://www.fdd.org/fdd-centers-on-american-power/ 00:00-05:00- Introduction 05:00-18:00- The Framework: Two Futures 18:00-24:00- What Helion Energy is Doing 24:00-29:00- The National Security Lens 29:00-35:00- The Shenzhen and Node Policy Failures 35:00-40:00- The Chips Act and Electrotech 40:00-45:00- Lessons from Ukraine 45:00-52:00- Case Studies: Batteries vs. Solar Panels 52:00-1:12:00- Q&A: Who Writes the New Firmware