Shooting at Tennessee Nuclear Power Plant Highlights Physical Vulnerability of U.S. Electricity System

Security of the nation’s electrical system from cyber
attacks has received much
attention as of late, but a recent event reminds us of the
vulnerabilities in physical security. Last weekend, a security
officer at Watts Bar nuclear power plant in eastern Tennessee exchanged gunfire
with a man attempting to break into the facility.  When
confronted, the man opened fire on the officer, and a gunfight ensued. The
officer was not harmed, and the gunman fled the area after the exchange.

The FBI, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and local authorities
are investigating the incident. The gunman remains at large.

While little information is known about the suspect, this
incident demonstrates the physical security challenges posed by our electricity
system. Nuclear facilities, of course, are particularly high profile targets that
require a level of physical security far greater than that of other power plants.
Nuclear
facilities are required to have extensive security plans, and the response at
the Watts Bar plant proved effective. But this event should serve as a reminder
of the physical vulnerability of the U.S. electricity system writ large. The
threat of a concentrated, coordinated attack is troubling and should not be
ignored.

Reliance on centralized power plants and an outdated grid makes the
electricity system vulnerable to terrorist attacks. A coordinated physical attack
on several power plants and/or the grid itself could cause extensive and
sustained power outages, which would have dire effects. According
to Scott Pugh at the Department of Homeland Security, an
attacker who understood vulnerabilities in the grid could use a “hunting rifle
from a couple hundred yards away” to take out six key substations and “black
out most of the U.S. east of the Mississippi.” And a more sophisticated attack,
such as an electromagnetic pulse, could shut down large parts of U.S. electricity
infrastructure for months. Food distribution, telecommunications, banking, heating/cooling
systems, medical and safety infrastructure and security institutions (such as DoD
installations) are all dependent on the grid and would struggle to function. Such
an event would cause tremendous economic disruption and widespread chaos. Imagine
the impacts of Hurricane Sandy, which
caused over 8 million homes to lose power and necessitated 57,000 additional
utility workers to restore it, but magnified many times over due to the
targeted nature of an attack.

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