New attack on the US electricity grid with an episode in the state of Washington

Bloomberg – On Christmas Day, four electrical substations in the US state of Washington were attacked, disrupting service to thousands of residents, just weeks after shooting at such a facility in North Carolina prompted an FBI investigation.

Security forces are now investigating at least eight attacks on power plants in four states in the past month, which have highlighted the vulnerability of the country’s electricity grid. It is unknown if they are related to each other.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, in the most recent incidents outside of Tacoma, Washington, Thousands of people were left without electricity after vandals raided four substations and damaged equipment, in one case starting a fire. In all, 14,000 people lost power as a result of these attacks on substations owned by Tacoma Public Utilities and Puget Sound Energy, according to the sheriff’s office, which said most power has been restored.

“It is unknown if there is any motivation or if this is a coordinated attack on systems of power,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The attacks come just weeks after a shooting at two North Carolina substations cut power to 45,000 homes and businesses.

In January, the US Department of Homeland Security warned in a report that domestic extremists have been developing “credible and specific plans” to attack electrical infrastructure since at least 2020.

Read more at Bloomberg.com