EL PASO COUNTY, Colorado (CBS4) – Xcel Energy has acknowledged 11 News’s sister CBS4 station that it is aware of an alleged plot to disable the country’s power grid, which included a possible attack on an El Paso County substation.
The FBI is investigating a neo-Nazi group believed to be planning an attack on the United States’ power grid. The plot was being called “Lights Out”. One of the targeted structures mentioned in the details of the investigation is outside Colorado Springs. It is called “Midway” and is operated by Xcel.
The information is contained in a search and seizure warrant statement that was accidentally opened in a federal court in Wisconsin. The guarantee is to seek information about a cell phone number from the telephone company’s service provider.
The statement details an alleged conspiracy to name three people who have so far not been charged in this case. It was reviewed by CBS4 investigator Rick Sallinger on Sunday, December 13. The next day, the warrant was resealed and was no longer open to public viewing. He says the plan is to disable power substations in the southeastern United States and in El Paso County, Colorado.
The statement quotes an insider stating that the target date for the attack was 2024, but before that, if Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
The federal court document describes one of the alleged conspirators planning to travel to Denver. There he hoped to find a popular author in neo-Nazi circles.
A search warrant request says that the conspirators consulted an online Department of Energy website that detailed the power grid and power stations essential to it.
The informant told police that the group planned to fire rifles at the power plant. The court document said those under investigation referred to the white supremacist group “Atomwaffen”.
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the Atomwaffen Division as “organized as a series of terrorist cells that work for civilizational collapse”. He adds that his strategy can be traced back to “The Order” in the 1980s.
In 1984, members of the Order committed a series of crimes as part of a conspiracy designed to overthrow the United States government. Among the acts for which members were convicted is the murder of KOA radio talk show host Alan Berg. He was shot dead in his Denver home garage.
A spokesman for the United States attorney general’s office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin acknowledged the search warrant linked to the “Lights Out” plot, but declined to comment further.
Michelle Aguayo, a spokesman for Xcel Energy, issued a statement to CBS4 that says: “Keeping the network secure is a priority for Xcel Energy, as well as for our partners across the electrical industry. Maintaining that security is complex and requires constant vigilance. We work closely with industry and government partners, including law enforcement on all potential threats, while continuing to provide safe and reliable services to our customers. “
He continues: “Although we are aware of the situation and take all reports involving security seriously, as a practice we do not provide public comment on specific threats to our system. Please direct any questions you may have to the authorities.
Click here to read the original report on sister station 11 News’s website, CBS Denver.
Copyright 2020 CBS4. All rights reserved.