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Attacks on US Power Grids Rose to All-Time High in 2022

  • Physical threats to electric infrastructure climb 77%
  • North Carolina, Washington site attacks triggered blackouts
   

   

Photographer: Steve Hockstein/Bloomberg

Attacks on US power grids rose to an all-time high last year, further straining the sprawling and aging network. 

The number of direct physical attacks, including acts of vandalism and other suspicious activity, that potentially threatened grid reliability rose 77% to 163 in 2022 from the previous year, according data released by the US Energy Department Tuesday. The incidents put the network at risk in more than three dozen states, affecting about 90,000 customers.