Feds order review of power-grid security after attacks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday ordered a review of security standards at the nation's far-flung electricity transmission network, following shootings at two electric substations in North Carolina that damaged equipment and caused more than 45,000 customers to lose power.

The order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directs officials to study the effectiveness of existing reliability standards for the physical security of the nation's power grid and determine whether they need to be improved.

“The security and reliability of the nation’s electric grid is one of FERC’s top priorities,” FERC Chairman Richard Glick said at a commission meeting Thursday.

“In light of the increasing number of recent reports of physical attacks on our nation’s infrastructure, it is important that we fully and clearly review the effectiveness of our existing physical security standard to determine whether additional improvements are necessary to safeguard the bulk power system,'' Glick said.

The order comes less than two weeks after one or more people drove up to two substations in central North Carolina, breached the gates and opened fire on them. Outages began shortly after the Dec. 3 nighttime attack and lasted several days before powers was restored to almost all households in Moore County four days later.

Even as power was restored, Duke Energy Corp., which owns the two North Carolina substations, reported gunfire Dec. 7 near another Duke facility in South Carolina. Law enforcement officials say they have found no evidence linking incidents in the two states, although multiple state and federal agencies continue to investigate.

At least four electrical substations have been targeted in separate attacks in Oregon and Washington state since November, Oregon...