Duke Energy Florida spokesperson says substations are monitored for safety, security

ORLANDO, Fla. - Investigators in North Carolina are trying to find out who shot at two power substations over the weekend, leaving thousands in the dark. 

Duke Energy said crews were making progress on restoring power to Moore County, where authorities said one or more people vandalized the substations, but the repairs won’t be complete until later in the week. Officials have said the damage requires sophisticated repairs and equipment delivery from outside the area.  Nearly 36,000 customers were without power in the county Tuesday, down from a peak of about 45,000, according to poweroutage.us.

We asked security experts about power grids in Central Florida and whether they could withstand this kind of damage and disruption.

"It could happen anywhere, any time no matter how prepared we are," said security consultant Dave Benson. "This was not a random act of vandalism. This was an intentional act of violence with the goal of damaging the national grid."

Authorities have said the outages began shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday night after one or more people breached the gates of the two substations and opened fire. Police have not released a motive or said what kind of firearm was used. Investigators said the crime scenes at both stations looked similar. 

Benson is worried it could happen again as others try to copycat the crimes. "Many of these individuals that commit these acts of intentionally targeted violence are looking for recognition," he added.

Duke Energy spokeswoman Ana Gibbs said that the company is spending $75 billion over the next decade on improvements, which include physical security and cybersecurity.  "Here in Florida, we have two million customers in 35 counties," Gibbs said. "We are on high alert every single day of the year – not just for physical threats, but cyber threats." 

Gibbs said if you see a suspicious person near a power station, call local authorities.