Lawmakers push for more security and Federal protection An attack by snipers on a Silicon Valley power substation last year is prompting the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to launch a crusade to better secure and defend the nation's electrical grid. he former chairman, Jon Wellinghoff, now a San Francisco energy law attorney, called the little-publicized April 2013 attack on the substation a "very well planned, coordinated and executed attack on a major piece of our electric grid infrastructure." While Wellinghoff has expressed concern that the attack may have been a test run for a bigger strike -- possibly terrorism -- the FBI has declared the incident wasn't an act of terror and is still investigating the case, with no arrests made. The FBI considers the incident vandalism, said spokesman Peter Lee in San Francisco. "There is no nexus to terrorism at this time," Lee said. Nonetheless, Wellinghoff is urging Congress to fill a void in federal law that he says doesn't empower any federal agency to demand better security around electrical substations, which he describes as barely protected with a chain-link fence and cameras. Even those cameras don't capture details outside the fence, because they are more focused inside it, he added. Last year's sabotage was carried out by at least one sniper at a good distance from the fence, outside the camera's focus, Wellinghoff said. "We need to have a national coordinated plan, and we have to have a federal agency that is in charge," Wellinghoff said. So far, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, has joined the call for improved security. The matter was addressed at a December hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which Waxman is the ranking member. "Just this April, there was an actual attack on our electricity infrastructure," Waxman said, referring to the Silicon Valley shooting. "This was an unprecedented and sophisticated attack on an electric grid substation with military-style weapons. Communications were disrupted. The attack inflicted substantial damage. It took weeks to replace the damaged parts. "The nation's critical infrastructure and defense installations simply cannot function without electricity. Yet it is clear that the electric grid is not adequately protected from physical or cyberattacks," Waxman said in a statement. In all, 150 rounds from an assault rifle were fired over almost 20 minutes at a Pacific Gas and Electric Company substation south of San Jose, California, knock Credit:Fox News Fox News: http://foxnews.com/ Please: Like, Share and Subscribe ...Thanks!!! Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
How Secure is our Nation's Power Grid
Lawmakers push for more security and Federal protection An attack by snipers on a Silicon Valley power substation last year is prompting the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to launch a crusade to better secure and defend the nation's electrical grid. he former chairman, Jon Wellinghoff, now a San Francisco energy law attorney, called the little-publicized April 2013 attack on the substation a "very well planned, coordinated and executed attack on a major piece of our electric grid infrastructure." While Wellinghoff has expressed concern that the attack may have been a test run for a bigger strike -- possibly terrorism -- the FBI has declared the incident wasn't an act of terror and is still investigating the case, with no arrests made. The FBI considers the incident vandalism, said spokesman Peter Lee in San Francisco. "There is no nexus to terrorism at this time," Lee said. Nonetheless, Wellinghoff is urging Congress to fill a void in federal law that he says doesn't empower any federal agency to demand better security around electrical substations, which he describes as barely protected with a chain-link fence and cameras. Even those cameras don't capture details outside the fence, because they are more focused inside it, he added. Last year's sabotage was carried out by at least one sniper at a good distance from the fence, outside the camera's focus, Wellinghoff said. "We need to have a national coordinated plan, and we have to have a federal agency that is in charge," Wellinghoff said. So far, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, has joined the call for improved security. The matter was addressed at a December hearing of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, of which Waxman is the ranking member. "Just this April, there was an actual attack on our electricity infrastructure," Waxman said, referring to the Silicon Valley shooting. "This was an unprecedented and sophisticated attack on an electric grid substation with military-style weapons. Communications were disrupted. The attack inflicted substantial damage. It took weeks to replace the damaged parts. "The nation's critical infrastructure and defense installations simply cannot function without electricity. Yet it is clear that the electric grid is not adequately protected from physical or cyberattacks," Waxman said in a statement. In all, 150 rounds from an assault rifle were fired over almost 20 minutes at a Pacific Gas and Electric Company substation south of San Jose, California, knock Credit:Fox News Fox News: http://foxnews.com/ Please: Like, Share and Subscribe ...Thanks!!! Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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