The number of physical and cyber attacks on the United States power grid is rapidly increasing, with the country expected to surpass the current record set in 2022 of 164 by the end of the year.
There were 94 attacks on crucial electric infrastructure grids within the first six months of 2023, which is 27 more than at the same point in 2022, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). The difference was greater still in the first quarter of this year, with a staggering 62 compared to 30 in the first three months of 2022. However, the number is likely far higher as multiple reports of attacks were not recorded in the DOE’s official figures.
“There is no doubt there’s been an uptick over the last three years in the amount of incidents and also the severity of the incidents,” stated Manny Cancel, senior vice president at the North America Electric Reliability Corp, before explaining that attacks spiked during the 2020 and 2022 election seasons.
Nine attacks this year led to major disruptions affecting up to tens of thousands of people. Last year witnessed the largest attack, which impacted over 45,000 people across three states – Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Law enforcement officials have suggested “right-wing extremism” is to blame for the majority of attacks.
