Attacks on at least six electric substations in the Pacific Northwest have alarmed law enforcement and utility providers. The incidents resemble those that left 40,000 North Carolinians without electricity for days in early December.
Though the attacks against facilities of Portland General Electric, the Bonneville Power Administration, and Puget Sound Energy, caused limited service disruption, they rekindled long-standing concerns about terrorists targeting the U.S. power grid.
All three utilities stated they were cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “active investigation” of these incidents.
PGE reports that the attack on its Clackamas substation briefly impacted power for approximately 6,400 customers.
“PGE is coordinating closely with multiple law enforcement agencies on the investigation, including the FBI,” the company reported on its website….