Duke substations damaged by vandalism
Duke Energy crews responded to widespread power outages this weekend and found signs of vandalism of equipment at different sites.
Image source: T&D World
USA, North Carolina: Duke Energy crews responded to widespread power outages this weekend and found signs of vandalism of equipment at different sites.
This included two substations that had been damaged by gunfire. Now the FBI is joining the investigation.
The company experienced multiple equipment failures affecting substations leaving about 45,000 customers without power in Moore County, North Carolina. The power went out on the evening of 3 December, just after 7 p.m. Authorities announced a mandatory curfew from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m., starting at night of 4 December.
“Duke Energy is pursuing multiple repair paths to restore as many customers as possible, as quickly and safely as possible,” said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy’s general manager, Emergency Preparedness. “This is a significant local outage that is affecting nearly all customers in Moore County. While some customers will be restored sooner, most customers should be prepared for an extended outage.”
Due to the nature of the damage, the company is working with local, state and federal agencies on their ongoing investigation into this incident. At this time, there is no information on a possible motive.
Source: T&D World
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