Extremist attacks on US power grids are increasing and election seasons are usually a popular time for them, experts say
Carlos Barria/Reuters
- Power grid attacks doubled from the first quarter of 2022 to the same period in 2023, Politico reported.
- Many of these attacks can be traced to right-wing extremism.
- One expert also told Politico that spikes have coincided with the 2020 and 2022 election seasons.
The number of attacks on power infrastructure across the United States is on the rise, a new report from Politico says, and political extremism is playing a role.
Politico found that the number of power grid attacks in the first three months of 2023 had doubled compared to the same time period in 2022. In 2022, the biggest attack on a power grid affected 45,000 people in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Insider previously reported.
Right-wing extremism has played a major role, Insider reported, as neo-Nazi groups target power grids because of their belief in "accelerationism," that is, the theory that destabilizing acts will catalyze a race war.
Power grid attacks spiked during both the 2020 and 2022 election seasons, Manny Cancel, senior vice president at the North American Electric Reliability Corp, told Politico.
Power grids have suffered from both physical and cyber attacks in recent years. The FBI has warned power executives to remain diligent and aware of threats to the grid, Politico reported.