"SAN JOSE, Calif.—The attack began just before 1 a.m. on April 16 last year, when someone slipped into an underground vault not far from a busy freeway and cut telephone cables."

"Within half an hour, snipers opened fire on a nearby electrical substation. Shooting for 19 minutes, they surgically knocked out 17 giant transformers that funnel power to Silicon Valley. A minute before a police car arrived, the shooters disappeared into the night.

To avoid a blackout, electric-grid officials rerouted power around the site and asked power plants in Silicon Valley to produce more electricity. But it took utility workers 27 days to make repairs and bring the substation back to life."

Rebecca Smith reports for the Wall Street Journal February 4, 2014. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Months Later, Sniper Attack at Power Hub Still a Mystery" (New York Times) [3]

"Sniper Attack On Calif. Power Station Raises Terrorism Fears" (NPR) [4]

"'Military-Style' Raid on California Power Station Spooks U.S." (Foreign Policy) [5]