Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) proposed heightening security measures at power plants Sunday, saying that an attack on a California plant last year demonstrates how a group of terrorists could potentially take down parts of the U.S. power grid.
[sharequote align="center"]"...our entire way of life is dependent on the reliability of our power plants & our electric grid."[/sharequote]
“Sometimes we take it for granted, but our entire way of life is dependent on the reliability of our power plants and our electric grid,” Schumer said in a news release, according to WLNY. “It powers our homes and keeps the lights on at our businesses. Any potential weakness in this critical infrastructure is troubling and should be addressed immediately."
U.S. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York speaks about how to reform the Democratic party agenda to counter the influence of the Tea Party wing of the Republican party during a speech at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C. (AFP/Getty Images)
"The fact that these snipers were able to inflict so much damage — and that they are still out there — means we need to re-think the way we implement security measures at our power plants," he continued.
The senator added that right now energy companies have the right to veto any proposed security requirements. He wants to end that.
[sharequote align="center"]“This is not something that we can rely on the utility industry to do."[/sharequote]
“This is not something that we can rely on the utility industry to do," he said. "Instead, we need DHS to bring its security expertise to the table, and FERC to bring its energy expertise, to devise tough security measures that will shield our power plants from this type of brazen attack moving forward.”
As TheBlaze previously reported, last April a group of individuals — still at large — launched an attack on a Silicon Valley power plant, employing AK-47s to surgically knock out 10 transformers before fleeing the scene and eluding authorities.
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