Substation security and the Garkane shooting

As the U.S. strengthens protections for its electricity grid, much of the discussion focuses on cybersecurity -- but physical security is also important, as shown by an attack on a Utah utility's substation.  On September 25, an unknown gunman fired at least 3 shots into a distribution system substation, damaging a transformer and causing power outages.  The incident may place renewed pressure on utilities to secure their infrastructure against vandalism and terrorism.

As reported by the Deseret News, the damage occurred at a substation owned by Garkane Energy Cooperative.  An assailant reportedly shot the main transformer's oil-cooled radiator system, causing the transformer to overheat and fail.  About 13,000 customers lost power across most of Kane and Garfield counties.  A spokesman for the cooperative said damage to the transformer could reach $1 million; repairs could take 6 to 12 months.  The utility has offered an unusually high reward -- $50,000 -- for information leading to the arrest of the shooter.

This is not the first time someone has used firearms to damage utility infrastructure.  Some incidents, such as the 2012 shotgunning of 167 insulating discs on Vermont's transmission system, may be considered vandalism.  Others, like the 2013 sniper shooting of a PG&E substation in San Jose, California, are considered terrorism.  That attack led the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to implement new physical security protections for utility infrastructure known as CIP-014, through its Order No. 802.

The Garkane incident remains under investigation.  More broadly, it may strengthen calls for further hardening of the utility system against physical attack.  Meanwhile, efforts continue to strengthen cybersecurity protections for the grid.

Vermont transmission line vandalism

Vermont's electric transmission authority has reported vandalism to a section of high-voltage line connecting Hydro-Quebec's grid to southern New England markets.  According to the Caledonian Record, 167 insulating discs were shot out from a transmission line in the town of Concord, Vermont.

Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) manages Vermont's electric transmission system, which includes, 738 miles of transmission lines, 13,000 acres of rights-of-way, 55 substations, switching stations and terminal facilities, interconnection facilities with Hydro-Quebec, as well as fiber optic communication networks that both control the electric system and provide the backbone for high-speed data internet access. VELCO was formed by the state's utilities in 1956 as the nation's first statewide, "transmission only" public utility.

Vandals reportedly used a shotgun to shoot the glass insulating discs which are spaced along the transmission lines and are designed to keep the lines safe from shorting out.  In all, 167 out of over 400 insulating discs were destroyed.  As a result, VELCO depowered the line until the discs could be replaced, which took from last Friday until last Sunday.  The repair itself cost about $250,000, but the biggest cost arose when regional grid operator ISO New England was forced to turn to the spot market to replace the electricity normally imported over the line from Quebec while the line was down.  The cost of that replacement power was reportedly over $1 million per day.

The incident is now the subject of a federal investigation.  Laws enacted after the widespread eastern blackout in 2003 and the September 11 terrorist attacks have increased the penalties for disrupting electric transmission and other infrastructure.  The insulating disc shooting may be treated as a "terrorist act" under federal law.

Transmission lines provide value to society, but are typically expensive and are often located in remote areas.  Hunting often occurs along or near transmission lines; just this year, VELCO won the National Wild Turkey Federation's Energy for Wildlife award for the company’s ongoing commitment to develop and improve wildlife habitat along its rights-of-way.  The extent of the damage to the insulating discs makes the shooting appear to be intentional, and thus more than a "hunting accident".  How will the incident affect transmission line owners' policies about public access to areas near lines?  How can transmission lines be better protected against vandalism?

Copper thief apparently zapped

Copper wires and other electricity-related assets can be attractive targets for thieves -- but stealing electrical infrastructure carries risks beyond the legal realm.

The Associated Press is reporting that police have found evidence of an attempt to steal $100 worth of copper wiring from an electrical substation in Haverhill, Massachusetts.  The evidence, which reportedly includes a melted hacksaw covered in soot, suggests that a thief broke into the substation and came in contact with live wires carrying 23,000 volts.  Yesterday's incident apparently caused a small explosion and temporarily disrupted the power supply to the local area.  The police have stated that the would-be thief is likely severely injured or dead.
 
Copper thieves are presumably hoping to cut the metal out of its installation and sell it for scrap.  While the value of bulk quantities of scrap copper has been at a relative historic high, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that copper pricing has fallen due to expected decreases in European economic activity, selling on the New York Mercantile Exchange's Comex division for $3.39 per pound.  It would be a desperate thief indeed who risks electrocution for any price, let alone copper's scrap value.

This incident follows on a report earlier this month of the arguably more sophisticated theft of solar panels, inverters and batteries from U.S. Forest Service facilities in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire.