Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced an investigation into the use of technology linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at a Texas power facility. The inquiry aims to determine whether the integration of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) components in a Mabank-area energy storage project violates state law and poses a threat to critical infrastructure.
According to Paxton, the investigation focuses on potential violations of the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act. This probe addresses concerns that CCP-aligned entities could compromise Texas's critical infrastructure through embedded technology.
The Select Committee on the CCP reported that CATL holds the largest share of the global electric vehicle battery market, supplying components that underpin energy storage systems worldwide. The U.S. Department of Defense has designated CATL as a Chinese military company due to its ties supporting China's military-civil fusion strategy, amplifying security concerns regarding its technology in U.S. critical infrastructure projects.
According to international energy tracking data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), CATL is one of the largest battery manufacturers globally, accounting for roughly 35 percent of global electric vehicle battery market share in recent years. This scale means its hardware and software ecosystems are deeply embedded across global energy systems, raising concerns about potential CCP influence if such technology were integrated into U.S. critical infrastructure, particularly in a state with an independent power grid like Texas.
The Office of the Attorney General of Texas serves as the state's top law enforcement office, providing legal counsel to state agencies and representing Texas in litigation. The attorney general leads efforts in consumer protection, antitrust enforcement, and defense of state laws while actively addressing threats to Texas sovereignty, including foreign influence in critical sectors.
