Are foreign actors spying on U.S. citizens through the power grid? Trump and Rocky Mountain Power think so. President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national state of emergency on the bulk-power grid. Published: Sept 4, 2026, 8:00 p.m. MDT View Comments Leah Bowers is a Utah, Politics and the West reporter with the Deseret News. NEW: Try Article Audio Audio quality: | KEY POINTS * President Trump's national emergency bans foreign-made power grid equipment over cybersecurity fears, but the White House still hasn't said which countries are actually targeted. * Whether Utahns' rates go up depends entirely on how narrowly the federal government defines "risky" equipment - if the restrictions stay focused on inverters, Utah officials expect no rate impact, but if transformers get swept in too, Utahns could see rate increases. * Rocky Mountain Power says it's not worried about consumer rates or security threats because the company began phasing out foreign tech years ago. President Donald Trump and the White House released an executive order last week declaring a national state of emergency on the U.S. power grid. The reason, Trump claims, is that "certain foreign actors are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities" in the power system, according to the Aug. 26 executive order. To protect the electric grid from foreign security and cyberthreats, it bans the purchase, import or installation of foreign-made equipment supplied by countries that are threats - though the White House has yet to reveal which countries are included. And that really matters. Which countries are truly a threat? "Almost everything that we buy in America is made overseas," said Utah House Public Utilities and Energy Committee Chair Colin W. Jack, R-St. George. "So, this sounds pretty dire when (Trump) says, 'Well, we gotta not use so many international materials ...' and there's probably nothing we could buy that isn't international materials," he continued. Jack said he imagines the White House is specifically targeting wind, solar and battery products made in China. This wouldn't come as a shock. Just earlier this week, Trump said, "China could not be happier with this anti data center movement" in a Truth Social post - claiming other countries that embrace modern technology pull ahead in the race for global control. Jack agreed, saying as materials with spying capabilities proliferate on the grid, "China does have access to control a majority of the generation in the country." Jack - who is also an electrical engineer and former chief operating officer at Dixie Power - recognized the difficulties of eliminating all foreign dependence. He pointed to the example of Dixie Power buying transformers from General Electric, which is an American company, but has products assembled in Mexico. Research from Congress found that 25%-30% of finished distribution transformers are imported - mostly from Taiwan, Canada and Mexico. Looping in countries like Mexico and Canada "would be catastrophic and I would be shocked if they were that careless," he said. Not only would it slow down production, it could raise rates for Utahns. Are Utahns paying the price? Jack says the cost Utahns might pay depends on how much equipment ends up in the White House net. If the White House is "surgical," says Jack, and "draws a net around what we all know to be high risk equipment - which are the inverters that control wind, solar and batteries - then that won't affect rates, because those products are all pretty external to the utility." Jack remains optimistic about how the White House will handle future decisions, saying: "I don't see this affecting rates if the administration is careful about where they draw the line and what's a risk to national security." For Utahns, Rocky Mountain Power doesn't seem to think the executive order will raise rates - as the utility began eliminating foreign security threats years ago. What has already been done? "We have been making a lot of these changes over the last couple years," said Jonathan Whitesides, Rocky Mountain Power spokesperson. He pointed to the example of drone line inspection. Back in 2021, the company owned over 60,000 miles of transmission distribution lines. "We have to inspect those, and drones really help do a lot of that," he said. Rocky Mountain Power historically used DJI drones - a commonly used brand - but felt they ran the risk of transmitting footage or information. "And so, a couple years ago, we actually took all of our DJI drones out of service, and now we go with Skydio," Whitesides said. "It doesn't have the ability to access the drone through remote radio access frequency. It basically eliminates that risk for a third party or a bad actor to tap it, hack into it and then have footage of critical infrastructure - in our case, the electric, energy industry, transmission lines, substations, etc." Whitesides said because the company took actions like this and others, they are confident they have already mitigated various security threats and avoided large costs to switch from foreign vendors to domestic vendors now. "Ultimately, because we planned accordingly, we didn't run into any issues where we couldn't serve a new development or a new neighborhood or whatever it may be," he said. The Utah Legislature has been working on this issue for years as well, according to Jack. "The most important thing to understand is that there are, in fact, threats to the national grid, and those threats are largely known, and have been identified, and we're working hard to address them in state law," he said. If future decisions are made carefully, Jack believes the executive order "should enhance security without raising rates and without causing any kind of outages or shortages." Looking for comments? Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them - or use the button below for quick access.

Old Mission Investment Co LLC buys new stake in GE Aerospace $GE. September 5, 2026 Key points. * Old Mission Investment Co. LLC bought 3,375 GE Aerospace shares worth approximately $1.26 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 74.77% of the company. * GE Aerospace reported strong quarterly results, with revenue up 21.1% year over year to $12.63 billion and EPS of $2.02, beating estimates. Analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average price target of $390.59. * Defense demand is expanding through U.S. Navy engine-support work, South Korean naval contracts, hypersonics programs and resumed Tejas engine deliveries, although the stock's elevated valuation and sensitivity to interest rates remain risks. * MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in October. Old Mission Investment Co LLC bought a new stake in GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,375 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,261,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Blueline Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of GE Aerospace during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in GE Aerospace in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Paladin Partners LLC acquired a new stake in GE Aerospace in the second quarter worth about $38,000. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of GE Aerospace during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Parvin Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of GE Aerospace during the second quarter worth about $41,000. 74.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. GE Aerospace news summary. Here are the key news stories impacting GE Aerospace this week: * Expanding defense demand: GE Aerospace is benefiting from U.S. Navy modernization, including a reported $2.87 billion engine-support award, as well as additional F/A-18 engine-parts work. South Korea also selected GE marine gas-turbine engines for its KDDX destroyers, adding international defense visibility. * Hypersonics and next-generation engines: GE won a Pentagon/DIU contract to develop a Mach 5 hypersonic test platform and continues work on the XA102 adaptive combat engine. These programs could strengthen GE's position in future U.S. defense spending, although near-term financial impact is likely limited. * Tejas engine deliveries resumed: GE shipped three F404-IN20 engines to India's HAL in August for the LCA Tejas Mk1A program. The deliveries help ease a prolonged supply bottleneck and support production of aircraft ordered by India's air force. * Operational growth initiatives: GE also shipped an X-BAT engine after ground testing and outlined plans to increase combat-engine deliveries, supporting its longer-term defense pipeline but providing limited immediate earnings detail. * Valuation and interest-rate risks remain: GE has recently pulled back materially from its 52-week high while trading at a relatively elevated earnings multiple. Rising Treasury yields could pressure high-growth industrial valuations, though the stock's defense backlog and previously raised 2026 guidance may provide support. Wall Street analyst weigh in. Several brokerages recently commented on GE. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of GE Aerospace from $365.00 to $455.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on shares of GE Aerospace in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a "buy" rating and a $375.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $400.00 price target (up from $355.00) on shares of GE Aerospace in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $380.00 price target (up from $330.00) on shares of GE Aerospace in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $421.00 price objective on shares of GE Aerospace and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $390.59. GE Aerospace trading up 1.0%. Shares of NYSE:GE opened at $336.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. GE Aerospace has a 52-week low of $268.91 and a 52-week high of $388.84. The stock has a market cap of $349.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.65, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $357.33 and a 200-day moving average price of $328.72. GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The company reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.16. GE Aerospace had a return on equity of 40.56% and a net margin of 17.72%.The firm had revenue of $12.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.66 earnings per share. GE Aerospace's revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% on a year-over-year basis. GE Aerospace has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.650-7.850 EPS. Equities analysts predict that GE Aerospace will post 7.91 EPS for the current year. GE Aerospace announces dividend. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 6th were issued a $0.47 dividend. This represents a $1.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 6th. GE Aerospace's dividend payout ratio is 22.14%. Insider activity at GE Aerospace. In other news, SVP Mohamed Ali sold 8,096 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $353.71, for a total value of $2,863,636.16. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 20,666 shares in the company, valued at $7,309,770.86. This represents a 28.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.19% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About GE Aerospace. GE Aerospace NYSE: GE is the aerospace business of General Electric, focused on the design, manufacture and support of aircraft engines, integrated propulsion systems and related aftermarket services. The company serves commercial airlines, airframers, business and general aviation operators, and defense customers, providing propulsion solutions for a broad range of aircraft types from single-aisle airliners to widebody and military platforms. Its product portfolio includes a family of commercial and military jet engines as well as spare parts, components and systems engineering. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. Continue following MarketBeat Before you consider GE Aerospace, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and GE Aerospace wasn't on the list. While GE Aerospace currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. A strong long-term portfolio starts with companies that can survive recessions, inflation, changing consumer habits, and shifting market leadership. This report names seven blue-chip stocks across technology, retail, consumer staples, healthcare, networking, sporting goods, and utilities that offer investors a mix of stability, income, growth, and staying power.

U.S. Energy Secretary Wright signs oil deals in Venezuela. Christopher Wright's second visit to Caracas yielded a dozen oil exploitation agreements and electrical system recovery plans aimed at boosting Venezuelan crude output The Newsroom Gokhshtein Media September 3, 2026 Key Points * CARACAS - U.S. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright concluded his second visit to Venezuela, overseeing the signing of numerous agreements to expand oil exploitation and improve the nation's electrical infrastructure. * Secretary Wright, a key energy advisor to President Donald Trump, participated in the signing of a dozen oil exploitation agreements. * General Electric also signed agreements focusing on recovery of Venezuela's electrical system. CARACAS - U.S. Energy Secretary Christopher Wright concluded his second visit to Venezuela, overseeing the signing of numerous agreements to expand oil exploitation and improve the nation's electrical infrastructure. The deals involve major international energy firms and Venezuela's state-owned companies, marking a significant step in re-established relations between Washington and Caracas. Secretary Wright, a key energy advisor to President Donald Trump, participated in the signing of a dozen oil exploitation agreements. These pacts grant new fields and exploration licenses to Chevron, Italy's Eni, Primavera and Aspect Energy. General Electric also signed agreements focusing on recovery of Venezuela's electrical system. The country experiences daily power outages ranging from six to 10 hours. The deals aim to stabilize the electrical grid and support the oil industry. The agreements are central to the White House's plans for the oil-rich nation. Wright projected that Venezuelan oil production would surpass two million barrels per day by the end of this decade, an increase of approximately 900,000 barrels per day from current output levels. "It is a historic day in the transformation of Venezuela and the expansion of the possibilities of the Venezuelan people," Wright said. "The mission of President Trump is to bring peace and prosperity to Venezuela." Wright added that the administration aims to "go at the speed of light to transform Venezuela and its relations with the United States, and the catalyst is the energy." He said the goal is to "replace the conflicts of the past with commerce and business of the present" across the region. Chevron will expand its operations and has secured two oil fields within the Orinoco Belt. Chevron maintained assets and operations in Venezuela even during periods of stringent U.S. sanctions. Italy's Eni deepened its involvement, signing five projects to increase its participation in Venezuela's energy sector. Primavera obtained the Budare-Elotes blocks in the eastern part of the country, while Aspect Energy will conduct evaluations of exploitation potential. Venezuelan state entities, including the national oil company PDVSA and the state electricity firm Corpoelec, formalized collaborations with General Electric targeting electrical system improvement and planned growth in crude production. PDVSA President Héctor Obregón said these agreements are the result of eight months of work on a "structural transformation" within the sector, following legislative reform approved earlier in the year. Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez met with Secretary Wright in Caracas. "We are signing for the life of Venezuelans," Rodríguez said. These agreements are distinct from a separate recently unveiled deal in which the United States will acquire at least one-fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves. That agreement involves a public-private partnership with North American Blue Energy Partners, a firm owned by Venezuelan contractor Alejandro Betancourt, who is associated with the Trump administration. The NABEP agreement was not part of Wright's official agenda during his current visit.