America’s power grid is vulnerable to sabotage, or so an article in the Washington Free Beacon claims. Many electrical grid substations and compounds across the country have faced an increase of intrusions by unauthorized and unknown individuals, causing concern that the U.S. grid is “inherently vulnerable” to a much larger terrorist attack. New Jersey’s Regional Intelligence Center (ROIC), citing their recent oversight report, states that there have been at least eight “intrusions at electrical grid facilities in New Jersey” from October 2013 to January 2014.[1] Not only could these attacks damage New Jersey’s electrical infrastructure, but also wipe out power across large swaths of the country.This report comes on the heels of industry leaders’ claims that the sniper attack at the Metcalf power substation in San Jose, California was an act of domestic terrorism. Though several other incidents such as those at Jacksonville, Arkansas where an identified suspect attempted to take the bolts out of a tower, set fire to a substation, and broke power poles in two with a tractor are likely acts of vandalism, the San Jose incident has a far more sinister tone.[2]Increasingly, officials have cited electrical grids as potential targets for terrorist and/or criminal attacks. The NJ ROIC’s report argues that: “the electrical grid—a network of power generating plants, transmission lines, substations, and distribution lines—is inherently vulnerable.” Indeed, says the report,“[T]ransmission substations are critical links in the electrical grid, making it possible for electricity to move long distances and serving as hubs for intersecting power lines…Many of the grid’s important components sit out in the open, often in remote locations, protected by little more than cameras and chain-link fences.”[3]The NJ ROIC’s report is further evidence that it is time to apply holistic critical infrastructure protection methods to our nation’s power grid. In our modern age the widespread loss of power and utilities would be disastrous. Legislation to strengthen infrastructure protection regulations may be a long time coming, as they are not currently mandatory. The good news is that the answer is already available in private industry. Under the NCCIP Act of 2013, companies engaged in critical infrastructure protection, like PEAKE, have been sanctioned as equal partners with DHS in providing solutions to power and utilities companies. PEAKE offers solutions to the power and utilities industry to help maintain communication, command and control, and facilitate functional resilience at the time of incident.

[1] http://freebeacon.com/report-u-s-electric-grid-inherently-vulnerable-to-...

[2] See Citation 1

[3] See Citation 1