31:
238:, stated that the attack 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. Under slightly different conditions, there could have been serious power outages or worse."
36:
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stated that military experts informed him that the assault looked like a "professional job", noting that no fingerprints were discovered on the empty casings. While
Wellinghoff described the attack as "the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred", a
186:
1:31 a.m. – A surveillance camera pointed along a chain-link fence around the substation recorded a streak of light that investigators from the Santa Clara County
Sheriff's office think was a signal from a waved flashlight. It was followed by the muzzle flash of rifles and sparks from
196:
1:45 a.m. – The first bank of transformers, riddled with bullet holes and having leaked 52,000 US gallons (200,000 L; 43,000 imp gal) of oil, overheated, whereupon PG&E's control center about 90 miles (140 km) north received an equipment-failure
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34:
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published a declassified report prepared in 2007 for the United States
Department of Homeland Security that highlighted the vulnerability of the national electric grid from damage to high voltage transformers.
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were cut by the culprits. Additionally, following the attack, investigators found small piles of rocks near to where the shots had been fired, the type of formations that can be used to scout firing positions.
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In June 2014, PG&E announced that it intended to spend $ 100 million over a three-year span on upgrading security at substations throughout its territory, including the
Metcalf location.
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Both PG&E, the company which operated the transformers, and AT&T offered $ 250,000 rewards for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators of the attack.
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Seventeen transformers were seriously damaged, requiring over $ 15 million worth of repairs. To avert a black-out, energy grid officials had to reroute power from nearby
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1:41 a.m. – Santa Clara County
Sheriff's department received a 911 call about gunfire, sent by an engineer at a nearby power plant that still had phone service.
250:–based power plants. While some nearby neighborhoods temporarily lost power, “the big users weren’t even aware Metcalf had happened”, according to an expert from the
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1:51 a.m. – Law-enforcement officers arrived, but found everything quiet. Unable to get past the locked fence and seeing nothing suspicious, they left.
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On the morning of April 16, 2013, a team of gunmen, using rifles, opened fire on the
Metcalf Transmission Substation, severely damaging 17
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134:, resulted in more than $ 15 million worth of equipment damage, but it had little impact on the station's electrical power supply.
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1:37 a.m. – PG&E received an alarm from motion sensors at the substation, possibly from bullets grazing the fence.
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1:50 a.m. – Another apparent flashlight signal, caught on film, marked the end of the attack. More than 100 expended
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183:, an Internet service provider, lost service. Cables in its vault near the Metcalf substation were also cut.
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597:"Following Attack on PG&E Substation, Bill Requires California Utilities to Beef Up Security"
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repeatedly cited the attack and noted that, "... in the wake of the
Metcalf incident, the
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12:58 a.m. – AT&T fiber-optic telecommunications cables were cut not far from
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679:"Physical Security of the U.S. Power Grid: High-Voltage Transformer Substations"
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had found indications that the attack may have been committed by "an insider".
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Physical
Security of the U.S. Power Grid: High-Voltage Transformer Substations
832:
814:
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737:"Sniper attack on California power grid may have been 'an insider,' DHS says"
520:"Assault on California Power Station Raises Alarm on Potential for Terrorism"
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stated that they did not believe a terrorist organization was responsible.
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468:"U.S. Power Grid Vulnerable to Attack: Congressional Research Service"
649:"PG&E upgrading substation security after San Jose sniper attack"
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3:15 a.m. – A PG&E worker arrived to survey the damage.
95:
623:"$ 250,000 Reward Offered In Vandalism Of San Jose AT&T Wires"
412:"Sophisticated but low-tech power grid attack baffles authorities"
159:
489:"PG&E Offers $ 250,000 Reward In San Jose Substation Attack"
549:"'Military-Style' Raid on California Power Station Spooks U.S."
567:"Sniper Attack On Calif. Power Station Raises Terrorism Fears"
385:"Sniper Attack On Calif. Power Station Raises Terrorism Fears"
791:
219:
Former
Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
442:"Snipers Coordinated an Attack on the Power Grid, but Why?"
844:
Attacks on electrical infrastructure in the United States
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305:
National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
16:
2013 electrical substation attack in Coyote, California
130:. The attack, in which gunmen fired on 17 electrical
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Serrano, Richard; Halper, Evan (February 11, 2014).
236:
United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
763:"Terrorism and the Electric Power Delivery System"
684:. Congressional Research Service. June 17, 2014.
551:Foreign Policy. December 27, 2013. Archived from
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765:. National Research Council. November 14, 2014.
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114:On April 16, 2013, an attack was carried out on
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522:. The Wall Street Journal. February 5, 2014.
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328:Electrical grid security in the United States
711:"Keeping the electric grid safe from attack"
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483:
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41:CCTV footage (Attacks begin at around 1:54)
352:"Hacking The Electric Grid Is Damned Hard"
287:In October 2015, it was reported that the
29:
470:. Bloomberg. July 8, 2014. Archived from
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478:
350:Koerth-Baker, Maggie (August 13, 2018).
275:has ordered the imposition of mandatory
179:1:07 a.m. – Some customers of
859:April 2013 events in the United States
854:April 2013 crimes in the United States
831:
279:standards (for substations) in 2014."
769:from the original on January 31, 2016
717:from the original on October 11, 2014
526:from the original on October 26, 2014
491:. CBS San Francisco. April 10, 2014.
379:
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156:fiber-optic telecommunications cables
884:Unsolved crimes in the United States
869:Crimes in the San Francisco Bay Area
864:Energy in the San Francisco Bay Area
743:from the original on August 29, 2020
362:from the original on August 13, 2018
625:. CBS SF Bay Area. April 17, 2013.
577:from the original on August 6, 2020
448:from the original on March 15, 2017
204:cases were later found at the site.
13:
691:from the original on July 25, 2014
659:from the original on July 25, 2014
444:. The Atlantic. February 5, 2014.
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629:from the original on May 29, 2014
603:from the original on May 29, 2014
495:from the original on May 18, 2014
391:from the original on May 10, 2015
252:Electric Power Research Institute
154:Prior to the attack, a series of
874:Pacific Gas and Electric Company
599:. NBC Bay Area. March 10, 2014.
422:from the original on May 7, 2014
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116:Pacific Gas and Electric Company
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739:. CNN Money. October 17, 2015.
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289:Department of Homeland Security
226:Federal Bureau of Investigation
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323:Moore County substation attack
265:Congressional Research Service
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713:. The Hill. October 8, 2014.
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263:A July 2014 report from the
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176:just outside south San Jose.
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187:bullets hitting the fence.
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839:2013 crimes in California
387:. NPR. February 5, 2014.
301:National Research Council
101:
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215:Sophistication of attack
70:12:58 – 1:50 a.m. (
61:April 16, 2013
120:transmission substation
295:Precursor publications
181:Level 3 Communications
653:San Jose Mercury News
318:Metcalf Energy Center
126:, near the border of
24:Metcalf sniper attack
815:37.2205°N 121.7439°W
811: /
820:37.2205; -121.7439
792:Grid Security Now!
224:spokesman for the
124:Coyote, California
85:Metcalf substation
51:Coyote, California
655:. June 18, 2014.
474:on July 13, 2014.
416:Los Angeles Times
277:physical security
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849:Acts of sabotage
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232:Henry Waxman
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158:operated by
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144:transformers
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132:transformers
113:
18:
818: /
806:121°44′38″W
773:January 25,
721:October 18,
150:Preparation
118:'s Metcalf
91:Attack type
833:Categories
803:37°13′14″N
426:January 9,
366:August 13,
334:References
65:2013-04-16
747:August 3,
581:August 1,
530:March 14,
452:March 10,
242:Aftermath
202:7.62Ă—39mm
106:7.62Ă—39mm
767:Archived
741:Archived
715:Archived
695:July 17,
686:Archived
663:July 17,
657:Archived
627:Archived
601:Archived
575:Archived
524:Archived
493:Archived
446:Archived
420:Archived
395:April 3,
389:Archived
360:Archived
312:See also
167:Timeline
160:AT&T
128:San Jose
96:Sabotage
83:PG&E
47:Location
879:Snipers
633:May 29,
607:May 29,
499:May 29,
303:of the
267:titled
138:Assault
102:Weapons
63: (
197:alarm.
108:rifles
79:Target
53:, U.S.
689:(PDF)
682:(PDF)
775:2016
749:2020
723:2014
697:2014
665:2014
635:2014
609:2014
583:2020
532:2017
501:2014
454:2017
428:2018
397:2018
368:2018
273:FERC
58:Date
571:NPR
122:in
72:PDT
835::
651:.
569:.
540:^
509:^
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342:^
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