The Grid Is Under Attack From Snipers, Hackers and Hurricanes
Shootings at two North Carolina substations expose the vulnerability of our electricity network, and the difficulty of maintaining reliable and equitable power supply.
America’s energy infrastructure is threatened by sabotage, climate change and cyber weapons.
Photographer: Bloomberg/BloombergWe don’t yet know who attacked an electricity substation in North Carolina, blacking out 45,000 customers, or why they did it. Whatever their motivation, they shot a few holes in the very idea of the grid.
Our electricity grids are founded on two basic principles. First, networks provide resiliency because if one part hits trouble, other parts can pick up the slack — up to a point. Second, grids reduce and socialize costs: The remote village gets reliable light at a reasonable price because it is supplied by the same grid serving many thousands of customers grouped densely in cities and suburbs.