The FBI is joining the investigation into power outages in a North Carolina county believed to have been caused by “intentional” and “targeted” attacks on substations that left around 40,000 customers in the dark Saturday night, prompting a curfew and emergency declaration.
As reported by CNN and the Associated Press, the mass outage in Moore County became a criminal investigation when responding utility crews found signs of potential vandalism of equipment at different sites – including two substations that had been damaged by gunfire, according to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials haven’t identified a motivation behind the incident yet or determined who was responsible. More information on this developing story can be found on CNN's website.
In addition, EC&M's sister publication, T&D World, has additional coverage on the outage and Duke Energy's efforts to restore power for its customers. The coverage can be found on T&D World's website.