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America's multibillion-dollar AI data center buildout relies on China-linked supplies of power transformers, batteries, and optical gear, three hardware layers that sit below the compute tier but are physical preconditions for any facility to operate.
The dependence has remained largely hidden. Washington is now moving to restrict foreign equipment in critical infrastructure, pulling that exposure into view.
Power transformers step grid voltage down to the distribution levels a campus can use. Batteries hold backup energy capacity, keeping servers running when grid supply falters.
Optical gear forms the high-bandwidth interconnect between compute nodes and between buildings. All three sit at the infrastructure tier below the compute hardware.
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