MOORE COUNTY, N.C. — Duke Energy estimates power will be restored in Moore County by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday following a targeted attack on two substations that left tens of thousands of customers without electricity over the weekend.
"They're working around the clock to bring some equipment in to try to get it on as quickly as they can," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said.
The attack has raised concerns about potential security weaknesses in the power grid. During a news conference Monday, Cooper said this should be viewed as a learning experience for the state and Duke Energy.
"I'm always concerned about critical infrastructure," Cooper said. "I think we need to learn from this incident because these kinds of things cannot happen. We cannot tolerate this kind of wide power outage to so many people."
The outages started after 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Moore County Sheriff's Office said the attack used gunfire to damage the substations, which are about 5 miles apart in West End and Carthage.
All schools in Moore County closed again Tuesday. The Red Cross established a 24-hour shelter to help thousands of people lacking heat, medical care and other necessities.
Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, said the company provides "multiple layers of security" across its system to protect infrastructure. He did not give any information about the Moore County substations, saying Duke doesn't speak specifically about measures at facilities. Duke said it plans to donate $100,000 to help with the community's needs during the outage.
Meanwhile, it's all hands on deck to investigate the incident and determine who's responsible.
"As we complete the investigation, could it rise to that level [of domestic terrorism]? Absolutely," Sheriff Ronnie Fields said.
Federal data shows attacks against the electric grid in the U.S. hit a 10-year high in 2022.
A WCNC Charlotte analysis of Department of Energy Electric Disturbance Events identified more than 530 reports since 2013, including at least 70 in 2022.
The data, which runs through August, does not include the recent attacks on two Duke Energy substations in Moore County. Law enforcement officials have said both were damaged by gunfire. They're investigating the shootings as a criminal act.
WRAL contributed to this report.
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