Physical Attacks on Power Substations in Multiple States--Report

[progree]

Newsweek, 12/7/22

There have been physical attacks on power substations in multiple states in recent months, according to a new report.

. . . Now NewsNation has reported that a memo from federal law enforcement revealed similar attacks have taken place in other states.

"Power companies in Oregon and Washington have reported physical attacks on substations using hand tools, arson, firearms and metal chains possibly in response to an online call for attacks on critical infrastructure," the memo says in part.

"In recent attacks, criminal actors bypassed security by cutting the fence links, lighting nearby fires, shooting equipment from a distance or throwing objects over the fence and onto equipment."

. . . skipping a lot of specifics about attacks in several other states . . .

[One loon example -Progree] In February, three men pleaded guilty to planning to recruit followers to attack substations with powerful rifles.

"The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region," the Department of Justice said in a news release. "They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression."

. . . MORE: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/physical-attacks-on-power-substations-in-multiple-states-report/ar-AA150rAD?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b813d600d3294428b14df88b590d73bc

Crossposted to Mahatmakanejeeves' Electric Power Utility Substation Sabotage Megathread
https://www.democraticunderground.com/111694722

[Girard442]

1. Infrastructure attacks could become the new school shootings.

Crap.

[Aristus]

23. I'll take a few blown, replaceable transformers over any dead kids.

Then throw these guys in a dungeon so deep, they'll need a periscope to see out. Domestic terrorism.

[Girard442]

24. Point taken.

If the crazies get lured away from the schools, it would be worth it. Probably won't work that way though.

[doc03]

2. Power stations are pretty vulnerable when many times a squirrel takes them out nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. They need to hardened, better enclosure, covering with mesh (block sightlines), CCTV all round. .nt

[Botany]

4. Is it the Proud Boys stopping drag shows?

https://rantnc.com/2022/12/04/fbi-investigating-power-outages-in-moore-county-sanford-seeing-effects/

Link to tweet

They were just in my neighborhood last weekend stopping a drag queens reading to preschool kids event.

Hello DoJ?

[onetexan]

25. My Goodness, what has this country devolved to

I hope that now our gov't treats domestic terrorism seriously. I dont doubt they've been exploited by the russians to harm us from the inside out.

[Chakaconcarne]

5. We need to get ahead of this and speculate all to hell who is to blame....

It won't be long before this is blamed on Antifa or immigrants coming across the border....

I wonder if this is some kind of forecasting.....

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217436957

[Chakaconcarne]

6. These stories/events are just priming to be used to bury all of the recent and upcoming news

around Trump, Trump family and GOP corruption...

Don't know why that just came to mind.....

[Rebl2]

7. Have small substation

down the street from me, maybe about half a mile. Just a chain link fence around it. We need to build brick walls around them and put electrified razor wire on top of the wall. Is that to much? As much as they charge me every month along with all the people that have Evergy as their power company, I think they can afford to do this.

[Ray Bruns]

11. And what do you think is going to happen to your bill when power companies

start upgrading security around 55,000 substations around the United States?

[Gore1FL]

12. What will happen to those bills if the equipment has to be replaced often? nt

[Ray Bruns]

14. All I'm saying is the customers will foot the bill.

Having worked for a utility for a couple of years, utilities don’t pay for anything.

[Rebl2]

16. Well they

should use some of their profits to do it, but I know they won’t. I am just saying they should do it. I am realistic and know they won’t. They would rather inconvenience their customers than spend profits.
We had power out for a week after an ice storm in 2002. Some neighborhoods it took longer to fix. It was a different company then, maybe KCPL. After that happened they started a tree trimming program that they continue to this day under Evergy. It has helped when it comes to ice storms.

[Martin68]

8. As I suspected, we are probably dealing with militant white supremacists.

"They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war...

[Irish_Dem]

10. They will terrorize the population to get their way.

Like Putin is doing in Ukraine.

[Martin68]

13. In the long run their actions will prove to be ineffective and self-destructive. They are giving the

government all it needs to investigate and indict them for serious crimes, and they are not winning sympathy for their cause from the citizens of the US.

[Irish_Dem]

15. Exactly, Putin's bribing US politicians to be his puppets is more effective.

The Proud Boys are not that smart.

[keroro gunsou]

19. Or rich

Just sayin’

[Irish_Dem]

20. Exactly. Not rich or smart enough.

[onetexan]

26. Bingo!!

[Skittles]

22. the usual suspects, young white men

distraught because the world no longer revolves around them

[Irish_Dem]

27. Exactly.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Right out of Putin's playbook. Destroy civilian infrastructure.

[EarthFirst]

17. ...and then what?

Their delusions of causing massive upheaval are unhinged and without merit.

The reality of it is they are a fringe group far too small for this fantasy of overthrowing the government of theirs to actually succeed.

Sure they’re costly; inconvenient and potentially hazardous to the health of the public; and justice shall be doled out…

They’re worth monitoring and charging as necessary; however they are far from an overall threat to the government.

[Marcuse]

21. Follow the German Anti-Sedition playbook.

[milestogo]

28. I always thought hacking was the greatest risk.

I guess not.