Sniper attack on Silicon Valley power grid spurs security crusade by ex-regulator

[FrodosPet]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/07/us/california-sniper-attack-power-substation/

(CNN) -- An attack by snipers on a Silicon Valley power substation last year is prompting the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to launch a crusade to better secure and defend the nation's electrical grid.

The former chairman, Jon Wellinghoff, now a San Francisco energy law attorney, called the little-publicized April 2013 attack on the substation a "very well planned, coordinated and executed attack on a major piece of our electric grid infrastructure."

While Wellinghoff has expressed concern that the attack may have been a test run for a bigger strike -- possibly terrorism -- the FBI has declared the incident wasn't an act of terror and is still investigating the case, with no arrests made.

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In all, 150 rounds from an assault rifle were fired over almost 20 minutes at a Pacific Gas and Electric Company substation south of San Jose, California, knocking out 17 transformers in the post-midnight darkness of April 16, according to PG&E, Wellinghoff and CNN affiliate KTVU.

~ snip ~

I have long considered this a bigger threat to our power grids than an "EMP" (electromagnetic pulse). Some of the major transformers in the grid would take years to replace. Knock out enough of them and the United States will suffer badly. The economic losses would be nothing compared to the starvation and massive displacement of people to areas that still have power.

We need those substations to be fortresses. We need water systems and gas stations and grocery stores and hospitals to have emergency backup power. And we need to do it yesterday.

While we are at it, we just need to generate more localized power. Rooftop solar and wind.

[FarCenter]

1. Society depends on metal in tension and container able to hold pressurized fluid

If you keep your eyes open, you will see guyed structures and tanks all around the landscape. It is impossible to physically protect critical infrastructure, which is why law enforcement needs to be able to identify anyone with intent to destroy such stuff.

[FrodosPet]

2. Scales of impact

There are many threats. But it seems to me a coordinated attack by a small group - be they RW / white supremacists, anti-capitalists, Islamic terrorists, or bored little rich nihilists - on the most critical, hard to replace parts of the power grid is THE biggest threat we face.

Oil tanks, communications towers - yes, those can be locally bad. But nowhere near the scale of an August 2003 sized blackout lasting months or years.

Personally, I get a bit frightened when a cold snap is coming. That would be a devastating time for it to happen.

Whatever anybody may think about the "War on Terra" - this is real and MUST be addressed.

[FarCenter]

3. Large Power Transformers and the U.S. Electric Grid

LPTs are custom-designed equipment that entail significant capital expenditures and long lead times due to an intricate procurement and manufacturing process. Although the costs and pricing vary by manufacturer and by size, an LPT can cost millions of dollars and weigh between approximately 100 and 400 tons (or between 200,000 and 800,000 pounds). Procurement and manufacturing of LPTs is a complex process that requires prequalification of manufacturers, a competitive bidding process, the purchase of raw materials, and special modes of transportation due to its size and weight. The result is the possibility of extended lead times that could stretch beyond 20 months if the manufacturer has difficulty obtaining certain key parts or materials. Two raw materials—copper and electrical steel—account for over 50 percent of the total cost of an LPT. Electrical steel is used for the core of a power transformer and is critical to the efficiency and performance of the equipment; copper is used for the windings. In recent years, the price volatility of these two commodities in the global market has affected the manufacturing conditions and procurement strategy for LPTs.

The rising global demand for copper and electrical steel can be partially attributed to the increased power and transmission infrastructure investment in growing economies as well as the replacement market for aging infrastructure in developed countries. The United States is one of the world’s largest markets for power transformers and holds the largest installed base of LPTs—and this installed base is aging. The average age of installed LPTs in the United States is approximately 40 years, with 70 percent of LPTs being 25 years or older. While the life expectancy of a power transformer varies depending on how it is used, aging power transformers are subject to an increased risk of failure.

Since the late 1990’s, the United States has experienced an increased demand for LPTs; however, despite the growing need, the United States has had a limited domestic capacity to produce LPTs. In 2010, six power transformer manufacturing facilities existed in the United States, and together, they met approximately 15 percent of the Nation’s demand for power transformers of a capacity rating greater than or equal to 60 MVA. Although the exact statistics are unavailable, global power transformer supply conditions indicate that the Nation’s reliance on foreign manufacturers is even greater for extra high-voltage (EHV) power transformers with a maximum voltage rating greater than or equal to 345 kV.

However, the domestic production capacity for LPTs in the United States is improving. In addition to EFACEC’s first U.S. transformer plant that began operation in Rincon, Georgia in April 2010, at least three new or expanded facilities will produce EHV LPTs starting in 2012 and beyond. These include: SPX Transformer Solution’s facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin, which completed expansion in April 2012; Hyundai Heavy Industries’ new manufacturing facility, which was inaugurated in Montgomery, Alabama in November 2011; and Mitsubishi’s proposed development of a power transformer plant in Memphis, Tennessee, which is expected to be completed in 2013.

Destroying large power transformers would black out the areas that they serve. There is only a limited number of spares that could be used to restore power, so if the attacks were widespread enough, you get into very long lead times to manufacture and import them.

On the other hand, destroying electrical lines could cause blackouts of multi-state regions of the country. This is likely to generate even greater media attention, which would be the terrorist's objective. Because of their distributed nature, transmission lines are even harder to protect. There would, of course, be widespread cries to "do something", and politicians would oblige by spending a great deal of money to no effect.

[hunter]

4. Jeez, a sawzall, a monkey wrench, a bit of rope, and a pickup truck would have been more effective

There are millions of potential saboteurs in this nation!!!

Live in fear!

Please!

Bring on the Police State!

It's much more likely, this being the U.S.A., it was vandalism by some thoroughly home-grown Fox News watching asshole with a big gun and a small...


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...mind.

[L0oniX]

5. If the US government is going supply security then the US gov should own the grid.