Zapping Attacks on the Nation’s Transmission Grid
An assault on the transmission grid in Arkansas
is likely the result of a grievance with the utility
or the developer's chosen path. The incident, under
investigation by the FBI, underscores the need for
greater vigilance of those assets that are the
lifeblood of the American economy.
It was last November when the
National Academy of Sciences gave warning about
the destruction of the transmission network or the
substations that convert the voltage levels so that
the power can be delivered to homes and businesses.
That group said in its study that anyone from
vandals to terrorists could damage those assets to
the point where they would be unusable for sustained
periods. Such assaults would not just affect the
health and comfort of customers but also the
economic well-being of business communities.
The Arkansas line, owned by
Entergy, was necessary to ease congestion and to
prevent blackouts. The New Orleans-based utility had
testified before Arkansas regulators in 2010 that
the line’s route was based on discussions with
landowners as well as one was that was the most
logistical. That is, it required less new
right-of-way acreage and had better access for
construction and repair.
However, it appears that someone with a knowledge of
electrical grids and perhaps someone with a beef
against the line or the utility took matters into
their own hands: “Inspection of the line indicated
that it was intentionally cut. It is believed that
the person(s) responsible climbed the 100 foot
tower, severed the line with a saw or similar
object, and removed several bolts at the base of the
tower,” says an
FBI press release says.
Altogether, there are 5,800 major power plants and
450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines,
says the
American Society of Civil Engineers. The debate
occurring among utilities, regulators and U.S.
lawmakers is just how those assets would be
protected: voluntary efforts or mandatory laws.
The
North American Electric Reliability Corp. has
weighed in and in July, it sent a letter to the
chair and the ranking member of the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science and Transportation. While it
dealt with cyber-security, it generally wanted to
ensure that Congress facilitated the utility
industry’s efforts to upgrade its protection
standards.
“Your bill recognizes that these important
public-private partnerships already exist and
provides further direction to enhancing critical
infrastructure protection through voluntary
practices, while ensuring no wasteful duplication or
conflict,” writes Gerry Cauley, president of the
reliability group.
Economic Impact
In July, the Senate Commerce unanimously approved a
bill to beef up the nation’s cyber-security laws.
With the backing of utilities, the full Senate is
expected to vote in favor of the measure. The
legislation is modeled after a
presidential executive order that enables
government agencies to work closely with private
companies to beef up protocols.
According to the
National Academy of Sciences report, the grid is
especially vulnerable because it traverses long
distances. The problems are compounded because power
is getting “wheeled” across the country while
important pieces of equipment are decades old.
It says that there are also critical parts such as
sensors and controls that are susceptible to cyber
attacks via the internet. Because the grid is so
interconnected, it adds, high-quality technical and
managerial systems should be in place. That includes
those practices that would catch internal errors or
intentional sabotage.
“Power system disruptions experienced to date in the
United States, be they from natural disasters or
malfunctions, have had immense economic impacts,”
says Granger Morgan, professor and head of the
department of engineering and public policy at
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, and chair of
the committee that wrote the report. “Considering
that a systematically designed and executed
terrorist attack could cause disruptions even more
widespread and of longer duration, it is no stretch
of the imagination to think that such attacks could
produce damage costing hundreds of billions of
dollars.”
To that end, more than 200 utilities and several
government agencies will take part in an
emergency drill in November that will simulate
prolonged blackouts from both physical and
cyber-security attacks. The North American Electric
Reliability Corp. is spearheading the effort.
Utilities have long been mindful of their
vulnerabilities. As such, they are continuing to
work closely with all the stakeholders to mitigate
assaults and any negative ramifications that such
attacks might have.
Twitter: @Ken_Silverstein
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