South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem joins ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ to discuss the impact China owning U.S. farmland has had on national security. A U.S. energy developer said it shuttered a battery storage facility connected to its solar panel array located on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, citing national security concerns. North Carolina-based Duke Energy confirmed to Digital Wednesday the facility, which began operations in April, was disconnected late last week after Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate raised concerns about the project.
The storage facility was constructed with batteries manufactured by Contemporary Amperex Technology, Limited (CATL), a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) apparatus. Duke Energy spokesperson Kaitlin Kirshner stated that some concerns about the project have been raised, and as a result, the batteries were disconnected while they work to address these questions. Duke Energy supports more domestic manufacturing of batteries in the United States to expand energy resources and accelerate the energy transition. Kirshner added that the battery storage facility was connected to Duke Energy’s system with robust network security and safeguards.
Duke Energy’s decision to disconnect the facility came after more than two dozen lawmakers led by Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Gallagher sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressing concern about the project and its ties to CATL. The lawmakers called for the project to be completely reversed and for a review of CATL systems installed at other U.S. military bases. They highlighted CATL’s connections to the CCP and its rapid expansion in the U.S. green energy market, raising concerns about national security vulnerabilities.
Although CATL is not state-owned, Chinese investors tied to the CCP have held financial stakes in the company. Zeng Yuqun, CATL’s founder and top executive, was identified as a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, a critical coordinating body led by the CCP’s Politburo Standing Committee. The CPPCC praised Yuqun’s work with CATL in fortifying China’s lithium supply chains, crucial for electric vehicle production and green energy development.
Legislators from both political parties are increasingly recognizing China’s strategic positioning to dominate the electric future. The report published by the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) highlighted the need for policymakers to pressure meaningful changes in the oversight of battery systems deployed across the United States. Concerns about China’s access to electrical grids and critical infrastructure are seen as a looming national security blind spot.
The article also mentions Ford Motor Company’s partnership with CATL to manufacture battery cells at an electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan. The deal has faced growing pressure to be canceled, raising further concerns about China’s influence in the U.S. automotive industry.
The U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense did not provide comments on the matter.
Overall, the article sheds light on the growing concerns surrounding a Chinese-owned battery storage facility at a U.S. military base and its potential implications for national security. The involvement of CATL, a Chinese company with ties to the CCP, raises questions about the oversight of critical infrastructure and China’s access to U.S. electrical grids. Lawmakers are calling for a review of similar systems installed at other military bases, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to protect national security.
