Recent Duke Substation Attack is not Unique
Image courtesy of Robert Claypool under Attribution 2.0 Generic License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
On December 4, 2022, Duke Energy experienced a substation attack so severe that over 40,000 customers lost power. Unfortunately, this was not the first substation attack to occur in the U.S., and it certainly won’t be the last. In fact, there were at least 6 similar attacks from November to December 2022 in the northwest alone.
The Emerging ? and Disturbing ? Substation Attack Trend
The 6 attacks referenced above occurred primarily in the northwest region of the U.S., impacting Portland General Electric, the Bonneville Power Administration, Cowlitz County Public Utility District and Puget Sound Energy. The FBI is investigating the incidents, but it’s unclear if there will be sufficient evidence unearthed to bring about a prosecution.
Many of these northwestern attacks, much like the Duke substation attack, involved gunfire. With the Duke incident in particular, the attackers cut though a chain link fence surrounding the substation, and then opened fire. Attacks on other substations have involved setting control houses on fire, sabotaging electrical control systems, and causing short circuits by tossing chains across the overhead bus work components.
In addition to this northwestern activity, in November 2022 a small electric cooperative in North Carolina was targeted, causing 12,000 customers to lose power for 2 hours. The attackers targeted a few transformers, smashing them and causing them to leak, resulting in over $500,000 worth of damage.
This begs the question; what is driving this behavior? The answer is likely the emergence of extreme groups that have been formed for the sole purpose of carrying out acts of domestic terrorism, a trend that has accelerated since the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement about this in November, which is slated to remain in effect until May 2023.
Overall, this is a very disturbing trend, and one that needs to be accommodated in utility emergency preparedness plans. Our country remains incredibly divided, and therefore, it is likely that this is not the last time we’ll be hearing about a shocking substation attack.
