It is hard to tell if this is just vandalism, anarchists or terrorists… but with so many poorly-guarded facilities, it would make sense to have some practices before the day you really want to wreak havoc. Imagine if 20 substations were attacked at once, in conjunction with other terror activities? They could certainly create panic.
The FBI is investigating how an unknown group penetrated a San Jose, California power substation earlier this year [April 2013], strategically cutting fiber cables and then firing over 100 rounds of ammunition into ten transformers.
The attack happened on April 16, but until now the FBI had dismissed the event as an act of vandalism, even though early FBI reports suggested the “military style” attack may have been linked to the Boston Marathon bombing that happened a day earlier.
PG&E, the company that runs the compromised power substation, disagreed with the FBI’s initial claims of vandalism, and said the attack was “not amateurs taking potshots” and then suggested the attack was more likely a “dress rehearsal” for future attacks.
Not an Isolated incident.
According to the New York Times, the FBI is also investigating a series of attacks in Arkansas where high-voltage power lines were deliberately severed in at least three separate attacks. Utility officials have asked the public to stay alert, and are also investigating whether a September 29th fire at an electrical substation in Arkansas is somehow connected with the power line attacks.
[More at OffGridSurvival.com]