Every utility capital project now carries a question that seemed unusual a decade ago: where was this equipment made? Since the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act became law, that question has moved from procurement fine print to the center of project planning for any utility drawing on federal infrastructure dollars.
For transformer owners, the stakes are practical. Federally funded grid modernization, resilience upgrades, and substation retrofits must rely on iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials produced in the United States. Selecting a noncompliant component can delay a project, trigger a waiver request, or put funding at risk.
Yet BABA speaks to something bigger than compliance. Utilities serve American communities, and many customers want to know that the equipment protecting their power supply supports American jobs and a stronger domestic supply chain.
That is where Dynamic Ratings comes in. Our B100 Electronic Temperature Monitor and C50 Transformer Monitor are manufactured at our North America Headquarters in Sussex, Wisconsin, to meet BABA requirements, giving utilities a transformer monitoring option that satisfies federal funding rules and carries made-in America pride. Below, we cover what BABA requires, why American made monitoring resonates with utility customers, and why we are proud to be a BABA qualified manufacturer.
What is the Build America, Buy America Act?
The Build America, Buy America Act was signed into law on November 15, 2021, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It creates a domestic content preference for federally funded infrastructure, meaning federal financial assistance cannot be obligated for a project unless the materials permanently incorporated into it are produced in the United States.
BABA applies to three types of products:
- Iron and steel products
- Manufactured products
- Construction materials
What Qualifies as a BABA Compliant Manufactured Product?
Transformer monitors fall into the manufactured products category, which carries two tests. First, the product must be manufactured in the United States. Second, the cost of components mined, produced, or manufactured in the U.S. must be greater than 55 percent of the total cost of all components.
When and Where BABA Applies
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released final guidance on August 14, 2023, codified at 2 CFR Part 184, and it took effect on October 23, 2023. Waivers do exist for public interest, nonavailability, or when domestic products would raise overall project cost by more than 25 percent. However, waivers add time, paperwork, and uncertainty.
For utilities, the scope is significant. Federal grid programs, including the Department of Energy’s $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, are funding substation and grid upgrades nationwide, so choosing compliant equipment from the start keeps those projects moving.
Why American-Made Monitoring Matters to Utility Customers
Compliance may be the requirement, but for many utilities, buying American is also a statement of values. Investor-owned utilities, municipalities, and electric cooperatives all answer to the communities they serve, and those communities increasingly care where critical infrastructure comes from.
When a utility installs equipment designed and built in the United States, it reinvests in the same economy its ratepayers live and work in. That message carries weight in board meetings, public hearings, and annual reports alike. It shows customers that grid investments are strengthening local jobs and domestic manufacturing rather than relying solely on overseas supply chains.
Two Products, One Promise
The Dynamic Ratings North America Headquarters offers two BABA qualified monitors that cover the needs of most transformer fleets: the B100 Electronic Temperature Monitor and the C50 Transformer Monitor.
The B100 ETM helps you catch transformer problems early through real-time temperature visibility. It replaces up to five mechanical gauges with one digital monitor, delivers immediate alarms instead of relying on gauges that can stick, and provides automated cooling control. Optional hydrogen and moisture sensors add early fault detection, while DNP3, Modbus, and IEC 61850 support SCADA integration. Built for harsh substations, it offers a life expectancy of more than 20 years with no calibration required.
For utilities that need deeper visibility, the C50 Transformer Monitor makes condition monitoring easy and affordable. This configurable, modular platform brings bushing health, partial discharge, and temperature monitoring together in one streamlined, scalable system for high voltage power transformers. It also manages cooling and voltage control, and tracks tap changer wear over time. As a result, operators gain continuous performance data that supports better asset utilization, longer transformer life, and smarter, more proactive maintenance decisions.
A Company That Takes Pride in Building in America
For the Dynamic Ratings North America Headquarters, meeting BABA requirements is not a marketing angle we adopted after the law passed. It reflects who we have been for decades.
Rooted in American Manufacturing Heritage
Our North America Headquarters is part of Dynamic Ratings, a wholly owned subsidiary of @Wilson Transformer Company, which has been building transformers since 1933. Our monitoring roots trace back to the early 1980s, and our U.S. office, opened in 2002 and has since grown into the Dynamic Ratings North America Headquarters. That transformer heritage helps our engineers understand the assets they monitor from the inside out.
Investing in Wisconsin, Investing in the Grid
In November 2025, we opened our new North America Headquarters and manufacturing facility in Sussex, Wisconsin. The roughly 150,000 square foot site replaced a 23,000 square foot building and was planned specifically to increase manufacturing capacity and add jobs. It is a long-term commitment to building monitoring solutions on American soil for American utilities.
What BABA Qualification Takes
Qualifying under BABA is not automatic. First, the product itself must be manufactured in the United States. From there, the math gets detailed. To calculate and clear the 55 percent domestic content test, a manufacturer must account for the cost of every single component in the product.
- Purchased components are valued at their acquisition cost, including transportation and any applicable duties.
- Components made in house are valued at their manufacturing cost plus allocable overhead, excluding profit.
Only components mined, produced, or manufactured in the U.S. count toward the domestic share.
Documentation Utilities Can Rely On
Because federal award recipients are responsible for their own compliance due diligence, utilities need suppliers who can stand behind their claims. That means knowing where every part comes from, what it costs, and how it moves through production. For the B100 and C50, that supply chain discipline also supports consistent quality, traceability, and dependable delivery, which are qualities utilities value long after a project is funded.
Building a Stronger Grid
The Build America, Buy America Act has reshaped how #utilities plan and procure equipment for federally funded projects. Understanding the 55 percent component cost test, the three covered categories, and the cost of seeking a waiver helps project teams avoid delays and protect their funding.
Beyond the regulation, BABA gives utilities an opportunity to tell a meaningful story. Choosing American made transformer monitoring equipment shows customers that grid investments strengthen local jobs, domestic manufacturing, and long-term supply chain resilience.
Dynamic Ratings is proud to offer two monitors, manufactured at our North America Headquarters that meet this standard. The B100 Electronic Temperature Monitor and the C50 Transformer Monitor deliver real time visibility into transformer health while helping your projects remain BABA compliant from day one. As federal investment in grid modernization continues, that combination of compliance and confidence will only become more valuable.
Want to see how these monitors fit into your next grid upgrade? Explore the B100 Electronic Temperature Monitor and learn more about the C50 Transformer Monitor to find the right fit for your fleet.
Have questions about BABA compliance for an upcoming project? Contact us today and our team will help you build a monitoring solution made in America for your grid.
Author: Katie Panke, Dynamic Ratings