Physical attack on a power substation

Substations are the nodes of the grid, and most are protected by nothing more than a fence. A shooter aiming at transformer cooling radiators can disable them without ever entering the site, and replacing a large transformer takes months, because each one is built to order. The risk long stayed in the shadow of cyber risk, although it takes less skill and leaves fewer traces. For insurance, it sits on the boundary of several covers: property damage for the utility, political violence or terrorism depending on how the facts are characterized, and utility service interruption for customers left without power. The lack of any claim of responsibility, common in these cases, makes that characterization uncertain and turns the wording of exclusions into a real issue.