Electric utilities in Pa. monitoring grid in the wake of North Carolina attacks

Rachel McDevitt

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I report on energy and the environment for StateImpact Pennsylvania at WITF.

My work focuses on responses and solutions to climate change in the state legislature and communities around the state. I trace my interest in these issues back to my time as a Girl Scout and this episode of Rocko’s Modern Life.

I look forward to winter just for the chance to ski a few times each season. I try to keep myself from doom-scrolling on my phone by keeping my hands busy knitting and learning to play the piano.

I grew up in Cambria County, Pa. and graduated from Temple University. I started at WITF just after Christmas in 2014.

Rachel McDevitt / StateImpact Pennsylvania

Transmission lines stretch through farm fields in Chanceford Township, York County on Sept. 13, 2021.

December 9, 2022 | 5:24 AM

Pennsylvania utilities are monitoring for threats after an attack on two electric substations left thousands of people without power in North Carolina.

North Carolina officials are still trying to figure out who shot the two substations and why.

Meanwhile, Gov. Roy Cooper is calling for utilities to find ways to harden their infrastructure against similar attacks.

FirstEnergy owns Penn Power, Met-Ed, Penelec, and West Penn Power, which together serve more than 2 million customers in Pennsylvania. The company says it uses real-time monitoring to detect physical and cyber attacks on the grid.

“Protecting the energy grid and providing our customers with reliable power is a top priority for FirstEnergy,” the company said in a statement. “A wide variety of surveillance, deterrence, physical and technology measures are in place, and we continually invest to ensure our protective measures are robust.”

FirstEnergy says it also participates in drills throughout the year to make sure it can respond and restore power quickly in the wake of an incident.

Federal intelligence officials are watching for these types of events. A memo last year from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center said a drone found crashed near a Pennsylvania power station in 2020 was likely an attempted attack.

Pennsylvania’s utility regulator says it requires companies to have security and emergency response plans.

“The physical security of critical infrastructure and systems is an important part of every utility’s planning and operation,” said Gladys Brown Dutrieuille, chair of the state Public Utility Commission. “As part of their planning, PUC-regulated utilities regularly certify that they have physical security, cybersecurity, and emergency response plans in-place, and that those plans are regularly reviewed, updated, and tested.”

Brown Dutrieuille said the PUC partners with utilities, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies to monitor these types of incidents and use the information in future planning.