UPDATE: FBI alerted after Cowlitz PUD substations vandalized, similar to regional, national substation attacks

May 30, 2023

Power companies and authorities are on high alert after reports of physical attacks at substations in Oregon and Washington.

The FBI has been alerted about the November vandalism of two substations in the Woodland area, similar to regional and national attacks on electrical equipment.

The Seattle Times reports the Cowlitz County electricity substations are two of six that were attacked around the same time in the region, including equipment with Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric and the Bonneville Power Administration.

BPA Transmission Vice President of Field Services John Lahti said “someone clearly wanted to damage equipment and, possibly, cause a power outage,” to one of their sites in Clackamas last month, according to a Thursday statement.

Cowlitz County Public Utility District reports the local destruction occurred in mid-November.

Woodland Police Sgt. James Keller told The Daily News temporary power outages were caused at a substation behind of the Walmart on Dike Access Road for less than a minute and a substation on South Pekin Road for several hours after both were damaged.

He said the South Pekin Road substation was broken into and the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office alerted the FBI about the two incidents because the electrical grid was tampered with.

Public Utility District spokeswoman Alice Dietz and PUD Commissioner Duane Dalgleish would not comment on the specifics of the local vandalism, but Dietz said the equipment is repaired.

She said the PUD is working with “local, state and federal law enforcement” on this “active investigation.”

BPA reports in the early morning of Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, a fence was cut, and BPA equipment was damaged, but no power supply was disrupted. Lahti said the destruction will cost “ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The Seattle FBI office declined to confirm with The Daily News whether it is investigating the Cowlitz County attacks. The FBI is working with BPA, according to the power company, as well as law enforcement agencies in North Carolina, according to the Associated Press.

The regional reports follow attacks in North Carolina where investigators say two power substations were damaged by gunfire, leaving thousands of people without power Sunday evening and creating a state of emergency that included curfews the next day, according to the Associated Press. Most power was restored by Wednesday.

An energy supplier in North Carolina says it expects to be able to restore power by Wednesday night to a county where electric substations were attacked by gunfire. Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said the company expects to have power back Wednesday just before midnight EDT (0500 GMT) in Moore County. The company had previously estimated the electricity supply would be restored by Thursday morning. About 35,000 Duke Energy customers were still without power Tuesday, down from more than 45,000 at the height of the outage Saturday. Authorities have said the outages began after one or more people drove up to two substations, breached the gates and opened fire on them. Authorities are searching for suspects.

BPA reports vandalism of electric infrastructure is a crime, and asks people with information to call the FBI at 503-224-4181 or BPA’s Crime Witness hotline at 800-437-2744.

FBI spokesperson Amy Alexander said the Seattle office “remains vigilant and works closely with our law enforcement partners on a daily basis to detect, disrupt, and dismantle any threats that may emerge. As always, we ask members of the public to report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

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