Multiple electrical substations in the Pacific Northwest were attacked in recent weeks. Substations convert high-voltage electricity that travels across long-distance transmission lines to the lower voltages used by businesses and residences. Attackers used firearms in at least some of the incidents in Oregon and Washington states. Some power customers experienced at least brief service disruption as a result of the attacks.
At least six electric substations in the region have been attacked, at least two by people with firearms. Reports state that at least two of the incidents bear similarities to the attacks on substations in North Carolina on Saturday that left thousands of people without electricity for days. Substations convert high-voltage electricity that travels across long-distance transmission lines to the lower voltages used by businesses and residences.
The electrical grid has been physically attacked at least six times in Oregon and Western Washington since mid-November, causing growing alarm for law enforcement as well as utilities responsible for parts of the region’s critical infrastructure.
Portland General Electric, the Bonneville Power Administration, Cowlitz County Public Utility District and Puget Sound Energy have confirmed a total of six separate attacks on electrical substations they manage in Oregon and Washington.
After the attacks on substations, Oregon’s Titan Fusion Center issued a memo warning utilities about the recent attacks. The fusion center gathers intelligence to investigate and prevent acts of terrorism. The next day, two substations in North Carolina were damaged by gunfire, cutting electricity for days to tens of thousands of people.
After gunfire attacks on two electrical substations in rural North Carolina, lights were dark, schools closed, and tens of thousands of people went without power for days. After that incident, it was reported that a federal bulletin had warned of attacks on power facilities, noting reports from utilities in Oregon and Washington.
