Local officials said on Sunday that the FBI is investigating after a gun was used to disable two power substations in central North Carolina that plunged about 45,000 people into darkness.
There was extensive damage from the attack discovered around 7 p.m. Saturday evening, in which a firearm was used to disable the substations in Moore County, North Carolina, county sheriff Ronnie Fields, said in a news conference. A county-wide 9 p.m. curfew was put in place Sunday to protect citizens and businesses, Fields said.
The attack was an intentional, willful and malicious attack, state Senator Tom McInnis said during the news conference that the perpetrator will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Power may not be completely restored until Thursday, utility Duke Energy Corp.Energy Corp. said in a statement that it was repairing multiple equipment failures.
The attack comes amid growing concern from federal officials about the vulnerability of the nation's power grid to terrorism and the security of key pieces of equipment. Substations are critical links to the nation's transmission systems but are typically left unguarded.
A sniper attack in 2013 knocked out a PG&E Corp. electrical substation that powered California's Silicon Valley for 27 days.
North Carolina Representative Richard Hudson said a motive for the attack is still not known, but North Carolina Representative Richard Hudson said in a statement Sunday. Fields said authorities were investigating whether there was a link between the attack and the protesters of a local drag queen show, though no evidence had been found tied tied to the two.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said she would be in touch with the utility, and the agency's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response was working with other federal departments on the incident.