Trespassers cut fence and damage substation equipment in greater Portland area

The Bonneville Power Administration is seeking tips about trespassing, vandalism and malicious damage of equipment at a substation in Clackamas, Oregon. 

“Someone clearly wanted to damage equipment and, possibly, cause a power outage,” said Transmission Vice President of Field Services John Lahti. “The damage and associated cleanup will cost Northwest ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. We were fortunate to avoid any power supply disruption, which would have jeopardized public safety, increased financial damages and presented challenges to the community on a holiday.”

The physical attack occurred in the early morning hours Thursday, Nov. 24. BPA was able to respond quickly and minimize the damage. BPA is actively cooperating with the FBI on this incident and has encouraged other utilities throughout the region to increase their vigilance and report any suspicious or similar activity to law enforcement.

Any vandalism or attack on electric infrastructure is a serious crime and potentially puts the safety of the public and our workers at risk.

“We’re asking the public – if you see something, say something. Report any suspicious activity around electric facilities to law enforcement,” Lahti said.

If you have any information related to this incident or other potential attacks or threats on electric infrastructure, please contact the FBI at 503-224-4181 or BPA’s Crime Witness hotline at 800-437-2744.

BPA builds redundancy into how it operates and manages the region’s federal high-voltage electrical grid, which provides flexibility if equipment fails or suffers damage and helps ensure BPA can continue to provide wholesale power to its utility customers. BPA continues to repair equipment that was damaged from the deliberate attack of its Clackamas substation.

If you have information about illegal or suspicious activity on BPA property, call BPA’s 24-hour toll-free, confidential Crime Witness hotline at 800-437-2744. If you see illegal or suspicious activity happening in real time, first contact local law enforcement. For more details about the program, visit the Crime Witness website.