Electrical grid security in the United States involves the physical and cybersecurity of the United States electrical grid.

From the 2000s through to the 2020s, the security of the U.S. electrical grid has come into question. Government officials have expressed concern with the possibility of violent extremists and agents of foreign states attacking the nation's electrical grid.[1][2] Cybersecurity is also an issue for electric grid security in the United States with financially motivated crimes being more common than terrorist ones.[3]

Overview

In the 2010s and 2020s, attacks to the United States electrical grid have become more frequent, with 2022 being the year with the most attacks.[4] Since 2014, vandalism and confirmed or suspected physical attacks on electrical grid infrastructure have also been the second-largest cause of electrical disturbance events.[5]

In 2012, the National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a declassified report prepared in 2007 for the Department of Homeland Security that highlighted the vulnerability of the national electric grid from damage to high voltage transformers.[6]

In October 2022, the FBI published a report that described an increase in reported threats to critical infrastructure from people who espouse "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist ideology", with an aim of creating civil disorder and inspiring further violence.[7]

In a report concerning extremist threats, the Department of Homeland Security made note of a Telegram document that gave instructions for low-tech sabotage, including attacks on electrical power stations with rifles. The document circulated among online white nationalist communities, which advocate the toppling of the U.S. government.[1][2]

The threat of potential electrical grid cyberattacks by foreign states such as Russia has also been area of concern for electrical grid security.[8][9]

Incidents

1975

California

In March and April of 1975, a "closely guarded" Pacific Gas and Electric substation was bombed twice in two separate incidents, knocking out power to more than 22,000 customers. The New World Liberation Front (NWLF) took credit for these attacks.[10]

Washington

On 31 December 1975, an electrical substation in Seattle, Washington was bombed by the George Jackson Brigade.[11]

2013

Arkansas

Multiple attacks on electrical infrastructure were carried out by Jason Woodring in Central Arkansas between August and October 2013. Woodring attacked power lines and an electrical tower near Cabot, a switching station in Scott, and power lines and poles in Jacksonville.[12] [13][14][15]

Metcalf, California

Metcalf sniper attack
CCTV footage (Attacks happen at around 2:07)
LocationCoyote, California, U.S.
DateApril 16, 2013 (2013-04-16)
12:58 – 1:50 a.m. (PDT)
TargetPG&E Metcalf substation
Attack type
Sabotage
Weapons7.62×39mm rifles

On April 16, 2013, an attack was carried out on Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Metcalf transmission substation in Coyote, California, near the border of San Jose. The attack, in which gunmen fired on 17 electrical transformers, resulted in more than $15 million worth of equipment damage, but it had little impact on the station's electrical power supply.[16][17][18]

2016

Utah

In 2016 a Utah man attacked a substation with a rifle. He was convicted and sentenced to federal prison. Court documents indicated that he had planned to attack other stations as well.[19][13][15][14]

Vermont

In 2016, members of the Russian hacker organization Grizzly Steppe infiltrated the computer system of a Vermont utility company, Burlington Electric, but did not disrupt the state's electric grid. Burlington Electric discovered malware code in a computer system that was not connected to the grid.[20]

2022

Jones County, NC

On November 11, 2022, an electrical distribution substation belonging to Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative in North Carolina was damaged by vandals. The damage resulted in the loss of electrical power to more than 12,000 residents.[21][22][23][24]

Washington and Oregon

At least six attacks were carried out against electrical infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest in late November, 2022. Two of the incidents involved firearms.[25]

Moore County, NC

Moore County substation attack
Damaged substation fence in West End
LocationMoore County, North Carolina, U.S.
DateDecember 3, 2022 (2022-12-03)
c. 7:00 p.m. (EST)
TargetDuke Energy substations
Attack type
Sabotage
WeaponsFirearm

On December 3, 2022, a shooting attack was carried out on two electrical distribution substations located in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. Damage from the attack left up to 40,000 residential and business customers without electrical power. Initial estimates were that up to four days could be required to fully restore power in the area. A state of emergency and corresponding curfew were enacted by local government officials in the wake of the incident.[26]

Pierce County, WA

Four power substations in the Tacoma, Washington area were vandalized on the morning of December 25, 2022. At one point, over 14,000 were without power.[27] The damage has been estimated at $3 million to repair, and is expected to take up to three years to complete.[28]

Two men with previous criminal records of thefts were arrested on January 3, with the reported motive being to cut the power to serve as part of a wider plan to burglarize several businesses in the area.[28][29]

References

  1. 1 2 Musa, Amanda; Almasy, Steve; Hanna, Jason (December 6, 2022). "Power may be back for thousands on Wednesday night as authorities continue to go through tips on electric substation attack". CNN.
  2. 1 2 Miller, John (December 5, 2022). "Attacks on US power grid have been subject of extremist chatter for years. DHS bulletin warns of attacks on critical infrastructure amid other targets". CNN.
  3. ↑ Walton, Robert. "Sophisticated hackers could crash the US power grid, but money, not sabotage, is their focus". utilitydive.com. Utility Dive. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  4. ↑ Morehouse, Catherine. "Physical attacks on power grid surge to new peak". POLITICO. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  5. ↑ "North Carolina substation attack raises security concerns for U.S. electric grid". NBC News. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System". National Research Council. November 14, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  8. ↑ "Vulnerable U.S. electric grid facing threats from Russia and domestic terrorists". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ Office, U. S. Government Accountability. "Securing the U.S. Electricity Grid from Cyberattacks". www.gao.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  10. ↑ "A Power Substation On Coast Is Bombed 2d Time in 12 Days". The New York Times. April 9, 1975.
  11. ↑ Burton-Rose, Daniel (October 1, 2010). Creating a Movement with Teeth: A Documentary History of the George Jackson Brigade. PM Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-60486-461-8.
  12. ↑ "Arkansas Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Attacks on Central Arkansas Power Grid".
  13. 1 2 "The attacks on power substations in Moore County weren't the first of their kind".
  14. 1 2 "North Carolina power outage: Federal memo flags Washington, Oregon substation attacks similar to Moore County". Fox News.
  15. 1 2 "Other states reporting power outage attacks similar to North Carolina, Moore County, document says". December 7, 2022.
  16. ↑ Koerth-Baker, Maggie (August 13, 2018). "Hacking The Electric Grid Is Damned Hard". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Sniper Attack On Calif. Power Station Raises Terrorism Fears". NPR. February 5, 2014.
  18. ↑ Serrano, Richard; Halper, Evan (February 11, 2014). "Sophisticated but low-tech power grid attack baffles authorities". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  19. ↑ "EXPLAINER: US power grid has long faced terror threat". Associated Press. December 5, 2022.
  20. ↑ Eilperin, Juliet; Entous, Adam (December 31, 2016). "Russian operation hacked a Vermont utility, showing risk to U.S. electrical grid security, officials say". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  21. ↑ "REWARD: Up to $75,000 for information leading to arrest of those responsible for power grid attack". December 7, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Cooperative Substation Vandalized".
  23. ↑ "Another North Carolina power substation was disabled before the Moore County attack".
  24. ↑ "Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative substation vandalized in Maysville".
  25. ↑ "String of electrical grid attacks in Pacific Northwest is unsolved". OPB.
  26. ↑ "'Intentional, willful and malicious': 40K without power after substation attacks in Moore County". The Fayetteville Observer. December 4, 2022. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Associated Press.
  27. ↑ "Two Tacoma Power substations, one PSE facility vandalized Christmas Day, authorities say". Seattle Times. December 25, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  28. 1 2 Bernton, Hal; Carter, Mike (January 3, 2023). "Two charged in Pierce County Christmas Day substation attacks".
  29. ↑ Domonoske, Camila (January 4, 2023). "FBI says two men attacked Washington's electric grid in order to commit a robbery". NPR.
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