News of vandalism, tampering and destruction of substations, powerlines and other electric structures in the United States have made headlines in recent weeks.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative said the safety and security of the electric grid is a top priority and is taking proactive measures to ensure its electric facilities remain secure.
At this time, the reports from North Carolina and in the Northwest have been considered isolated incidents rather than a coordinated campaign to sabotage the electric grid. There is a heightened sense of urgency in the utility world, as well as law enforcement, to address public concerns of coordinated attacks to the electric grid.
Umatilla Electric has numerous protective measures in place to help ensure electric facilities are safe and secure. These protective measures consist of fencing, sensors, video surveillance, employee patrols, real time system monitoring and others.
“We are monitoring the situation across the utility world and are reviewing recommendations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other agencies to determine additional ways to protect our electric facilities and in turn, our members,” says Weston Putman, manager of public relations at UEC.
Putman said UEC is continuing its multi-year effort to improve and protect its system to respond quickly and effectively to outages, whether from man-made or natural causes.
In addition to taking proactive measures to ensure power can be served from its electric facilities, UEC is asking the general public to assist in watching out for the electric grid and each other.
“You can help in our efforts to secure and protect the electric grid by reporting any suspicious activity,” says Putman. “This might be an unusual noise, or seeing people in and around structures or areas who do not appear to be conducting legitimate business. If you see something, say something.”
To report immediate threats or emergencies, call 911. “In other cases, please contact our call center at (888) 465-5701 day or night and let us evaluate and respond to the information you provide,” says Putman.
