Assault on North Carolina electrical grid ‘new degree of menace,’ governor says By Reuters

By Sharon Bernstein

(Reuters) – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Monday warned of a “complete new degree of menace” and known as for elevated safety round energy stations after this weekend’s gunfire assaults on two electrical substations in Moore County that left practically all households within the freezing darkish.

Faculties in Moore County will likely be closed for a second day on Tuesday and 38,000 households have been nonetheless with out energy amid freezing nighttime temperatures after the Saturday shootings that Cooper known as felony assaults.

“Defending crucial infrastructure like our energy system have to be a prime precedence,” mentioned Cooper, a Democrat, in a press briefing on Monday. “This sort of assault raises an entire new degree of menace.”

Federal businesses together with the FBI and the U.S. Division of Vitality are investigating the shootings, together with native and state legislation enforcement. To this point, none have recommended a motive and no arrests have been introduced.

U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incidents, the White Home mentioned on Monday.

“Early proof means that it was deliberate and the investigation is underneath method,” Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas mentioned in a briefing.

Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields mentioned he had no proof to help on-line rumors that the assaults have been linked to a drag present.

Duke Vitality (NYSE:), which offers energy to the realm, mentioned it had restored electrical energy to about 7,000 prospects by Monday afternoon, from a complete of 45,000 who had misplaced energy after the shootings.