Authorities confirm five attacks at electricity substations in Washington and ... trends now
At least five attacks at electricity substations in the Pacific Northwest have been reported in recent weeks to the FBI.
The incidents come to light via a federal memo following a deliberate attack last week in Moore County, North Carolina, that left tens of thousands of people without power for days as seasonal temperatures fall.
In Washington state and Oregon, spokespeople for several energy companies - Puget Sound Energy, the Cowlitz County Public Utilities District and Bonneville Power Administration - confirmed the attacks occurred in November.
A federal law enforcement memo revealed that the Pacific Northwest substations have described attacks using 'handtools, arson, firearms, and metal chains possibly in response to an online call for attacks on critical infrastructure.'
'In recent attacks, criminal actors bypassed security fences by cutting the fence links, lighting nearby fires, shooting equipment from a distance or throwing objects over the fence and on to equipment,' read the memo.
Power stations in a number of US states have been threatened or targeted for attacks in recent weeks, prompting American law enforcement to warn citizens about a need to secure the power grid
A PSE transformer was attacked in Portland, Oregon, last month, according to a recent federal memo
Washington state Governor Jay Inslee's office said they are 'aware of increased threats to our utilities and are monitoring threat activity'
The US Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis warned early this year that domestic extremists 'have developed credible, specific plans to attack electricity infrastructure since at least 2020'
A spokesperson for BPA, Douglas Johnson, said the company suffered a 'deliberate physical attack' at a Clackamas, Oregon substation over Thanksgiving and that fencing and equipment were damaged.
He added that the company is 'actively cooperating with the FBI on this incident and has encouraged other utilities throughout the region to increase their vigilance and report any suspicious or similar activity to law enforcement.'
He did not offer specific details about the damage to the substation's equipment, only that the cost of its repair would be passed on to customers of the public utility.
The FBI would not confirm or deny that it is investigating the attacks, though the companies said they are cooperating with a federal investigation.
Gerald Tracy, the media engagement program manager at Puget Sound Energy said that he was unable to 'comment on the incidents because they are both an ongoing investigation involving the FBI.'
Two PSE substations were attacked in late November, though it is unknown which
