Recent developments surrounding the U.S. power grid are putting commercial solar energy resilience in the spotlight as businesses consider how grid security, reliability, and changing energy costs could affect their operations.
On August 26, 2026, the federal government declared a national emergency related to potential security risks involving certain foreign-produced equipment used in the U.S. bulk-power system.
The order is intended to strengthen critical power infrastructure by addressing potential equipment, cybersecurity, and supply-chain vulnerabilities.
At the same time, high electricity demand, extreme weather, and generation constraints continue to create reliability concerns in parts of the country.
So, what does all of this actually mean for businesses?
Here are five things commercial property owners and business leaders should know now.
1. The National Emergency Does Not Mean the Entire Power Grid Is Failing
The phrase “national emergency” can sound alarming, but the declaration does not mean the entire U.S. power grid is currently experiencing widespread failure or blackouts.
Instead, the executive order focuses primarily on the security of the bulk-power system.
Federal officials are concerned that certain foreign-produced equipment, software, firmware, digital services, and remote-access capabilities could potentially create cybersecurity, sabotage, supply-chain, or other national-security risks.
The order gives the Department of Energy additional authority to restrict certain transactions involving bulk-power equipment when unacceptable security risks are identified.
It may also lead to requirements to monitor, secure, isolate, replace, or remove certain existing equipment.
This is fundamentally a grid-security measure, not an announcement that the nation’s electricity system has collapsed.
2. The Emergency Does Not Automatically Mean Higher Electricity Rates
One of the biggest questions for businesses is whether the new federal action will increase electricity costs.
The important distinction is that the national emergency does not directly impose a new electricity tax or automatically add a surcharge to commercial utility bills.
However, changes involving grid equipment, sourcing requirements, supply chains, and infrastructure could create additional costs throughout the electricity system over time.
If utilities or grid operators eventually need to replace affected equipment, change suppliers, strengthen infrastructure, or make other major investments to comply with new requirements, some costs could potentially influence future electricity rates.
Exactly what happens will depend on how the federal rules are implemented, what equipment is ultimately affected, how utilities respond, and how regulators handle associated costs.
For businesses, the takeaway isn’t that a specific rate increase is guaranteed.
It’s that energy costs remain an important variable that businesses should be planning for.
3. Grid Reliability Is Already Facing Pressure
Security isn’t the only issue facing America’s power infrastructure.
On September 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a separate emergency order involving PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization responsible for coordinating electricity across a large portion of the Mid-Atlantic and other regions.
PJM reported a combination of elevated electricity demand, generation outages, significant power-export obligations, and hot weather.
Electricity demand was forecast around 152,000 megawatts or higher, while generation outages were anticipated to reach approximately 15,000 megawatts.
The Department of Energy authorized additional measures to help maintain reliability and reduce the risk of electricity shortages.
This action is separate from the August national emergency involving foreign-produced grid equipment.
Together, however, these developments highlight a broader reality: the power grid is facing challenges from multiple directions.
For businesses that depend on consistent electricity to maintain operations, grid reliability deserves attention as part of long-term planning.
4. Energy Resilience Is Becoming a Business Issue
Electricity isn’t simply another monthly operating expense.
For many businesses, it is critical infrastructure.
A power interruption can affect:
- Manufacturing and production
- Machinery and equipment
- Refrigeration and temperature-controlled operations
- Servers and communications
- Security systems
- Building operations
- Customer service
- Employee productivity
The financial impact can extend well beyond the electricity bill itself.
That’s why energy resilience is increasingly relevant to CFOs, CEOs, property owners, facility managers, and operations teams.
Businesses should consider questions such as:
How dependent is our facility on grid electricity?
What would an extended outage mean for our operations?
How would higher electricity costs affect our budget?
Which systems or operations would need to remain running during an outage?
Could onsite energy generation and storage give us greater flexibility?
Understanding those risks before an energy disruption occurs can help businesses make more informed infrastructure decisions.
5. Commercial Solar and Battery Storage Can Give Businesses More Energy Control
Businesses can’t control federal energy policy, extreme weather, regional electricity demand, or every decision made by utilities and grid operators.
But they can evaluate their own energy strategy.
Commercial solar allows businesses to generate electricity onsite, potentially reducing the amount of electricity they need to purchase from the grid while the system is producing power.
Battery energy storage can add another layer of flexibility by storing electricity for later use.
Depending on the facility, energy profile, system design, and operating requirements, commercial solar and battery storage may help businesses:
- Reduce dependence on grid-supplied electricity
- Better manage long-term energy expenses
- Manage periods of high electricity demand
- Strengthen energy resilience
- Support certain critical loads during outages when properly configured
- Build a more flexible long-term energy strategy
Solar and storage do not automatically make every commercial property independent from the grid.
A manufacturing facility, warehouse, office, retail property, school, or other commercial building will have different electricity loads, operating schedules, infrastructure, and resilience requirements.
That’s why the right energy strategy starts with understanding the property itself.
What Should Businesses Do Now?
The recent national emergency doesn’t mean businesses need to make rushed energy decisions.
It does provide another reason to evaluate how prepared your property is for a changing energy environment.
Instead of trying to predict exactly what electricity rates or grid conditions will look like five or ten years from now, businesses can start by understanding what they can control today.
Review your electricity usage. Identify critical loads. Understand how outages could affect operations. Evaluate your roof and electrical infrastructure. And determine whether commercial solar, battery storage, or a combination of both could fit into your long-term facility strategy.
Planning before an energy problem occurs gives businesses more time to evaluate their options instead of reacting to the next major disruption.
Is Your Business Energy Strategy Ready?
America’s power system is being asked to support growing electricity demand while addressing infrastructure, reliability, supply-chain, cybersecurity, and national-security challenges.
For commercial property owners, those developments make commercial solar energy resilience increasingly relevant to long-term business planning.
At Smart Roofs Solar, we help businesses evaluate commercial solar and energy storage based on their facility, electricity usage, operational requirements, and long-term goals.
Don’t wait for the next energy challenge to start planning.
Contact Smart Roofs Solar to explore what a commercial solar and battery storage strategy could look like for your property.
