Power Struggles
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” - Mark 13:33
On April 16, 2013, a dangerous act of sabotage that most folks have never heard about took place in Metcalf, California. Under the cover of darkness, at least two snipers took a position about thirty or forty yards away from its target - a power substation for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). After receiving a signal by flashlight, the shooters began firing their high-powered rifles in a coordinated attack that would damage seventeen large power transformers. Remarkably, the shooters knew exactly where to aim, targeting the units’ oil-filled cooling systems, which would slowly drain out due to the damage and cause a power failure. Moments before the police arrived to investigate, there was another signal by flashlight; the shooting stopped, and the perpetrators were never caught. It took PG&E twenty-seven days to repair the damage. (1)
When the damage was discovered, PG&E called the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to investigate. Jon Wellinghoff, who was then the chairman of the commission, was immediately alarmed by what he learned. He and his investigators walked the grounds where the attack transpired. He asked his men, “What do you think happened?” They replied, “Somebody put together a very carefully planned and very precisely executed attack on the substation. We don’t know who they are, but they were very highly trained.” (2)
Just months before the attack, Wellinghoff had ordered an analysis of the American power grid to find potential vulnerabilities. What the study found was quite alarming. “We came up with some very astounding numbers,” Wellinghoff recounted. The analysis found that if someone knocked out just nine critical substations in the Western, Eastern, and Texas Interconnections, they could potentially black out the entire United States. He estimates that such a blackout could last eighteen months or longer. (3)
What Happens If The Lights Go Out?
A piece published in the New York Times on August 18, 2026, details the massive difficulties the United States would face in the event of a catastrophic power failure. The transformers required for substations are enormous and take a long time to manufacture. Since the pandemic-era supply chain crunch of 2021, the average wait time for these transformers to be built has climbed to 128 weeks. Some transformers require a lead time of five years. “The transformer shortage is bad. It’s like hair-on-fire, biting-my-nails, losing-sleep levels of bad,” said former energy analyst Ajey Pandey. (4)
Further complicating matters is that there are many different types of transformers. Chris Hart, who is the CEO of the transformer maker Central Moloney, says his company has 11,000 transformer designs that they actively manufacture. “Everything we build is built to a spec, and every spec is completely different,” he commented. (5)
Without question, the American power grid is far more vulnerable than most people realize, and in recent years, malicious actors have attempted to exploit its weaknesses. In 2022, a pair of attacks in the Pacific Northwest closely resembled the 2013 attack on Metcalf. On November 22, 2022, multiple shots were fired at a transformer at the Puget Sound Energy substation in Tumwater, Washington, just two miles away from the Washington State Capitol building. More than five thousand customers lost power. Two days later on Thanksgiving morning, two individuals shot up the Bonneville Power Administration substation in Oregon City, Oregon. (6)
Other serious incidents occurred on December 3, 2022, in Moore County, North Carolina. On this evening, perpetrators fired shots at two substations only ten miles apart in a well-coordinated attack. About 45,000 people were without power for up to 5 days (7), and a state of emergency was declared at the time. (8) The case still remains a mystery, and no arrests were ever made. (9)
In the event of a prolonged national blackout, American life would quickly unravel. Not only would people struggle to communicate as their phones and devices lost power, but electronic payments would become impossible in a short time once backup power was exhausted. Lights would go out, food refrigeration would fail, and heating a home in the winter would become extraordinarily difficult. Factories would likely shut down, trucks would stop running, and store shelves would quickly run bare. It is a sobering thought that the simultaneous failure of just nine substations could take us back to an 1800s-style of life. Let us all hope and pray this never happens.
While the future is uncertain and fraught with risk, we can draw inspiration from God’s Word. Consider the story of the Israelites in Egypt. When God poured out the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, one of them was a darkness so thick it could be felt. Yet, Exodus 10:22-23 tells us, “And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Even as we face challenges in this life, we have the Light of Jesus Christ to guide our way, and God’s people will never face the darkness alone. Jesus declares in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
A Target For Foreign Adversaries
The previously mentioned New York Times piece concludes that the American power grid is an enticing target for foreign adversaries. “Disabling nine substations simultaneously might be beyond the reach of a domestic terror group, but it is well within the capabilities of a state actor,” the piece surmises. The author then adds, “For years, intelligence analysts have warned that the grid represents an inviting ‘attack surface’ for adversaries including China, North Korea, Russia and Iran.” It then notes that China was caught installing a software backdoor into a transformer being shipped to a federal utility in Colorado. (10)
Recent administrations have shown great concern about potential attacks on American infrastructure, including the power supply. While in-person assaults pose a grave risk to transformers and substations, the interconnected nature of our modern world makes hacking a grave risk, too. In April 2024, the Biden Administration issued a National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. The memorandum warns, “Adversaries target our critical infrastructure using licit and illicit means. In the event of crisis or conflict, the Nation's adversaries will also likely increase their efforts to compromise critical infrastructure to undermine the will of the American public and jeopardize the projection of United States military power.” (11)
More recently, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order on August 26, 2026, entitled “Declaring a National Emergency to Secure the United States Bulk-Power System.” The order is designed to heavily restrict the purchase of foreign-made equipment for use within the American power delivery system. “During my first term, I found that the bulk-power system could be a target of those seeking to commit malicious acts against the United States, including malicious cyber activities, because of the significant risks that a successful attack would have on our economy, human health and safety, and national defense,” Trump wrote. He then went on to write that the “foreign supply of bulk-power system electric equipment constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat.” 12)
While there are no known instances of foreign hackers successfully disrupting the power grid, there have been numerous attempts against the nation’s water supply. In April 2026, Wired Magazine reported that a joint advisory was published by the FBI, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The alert warns that Iranian-backed hackers were targeting industrial control devices used across a variety of American infrastructure installations. In particular, the hackers targeted programmable logic controllers manufactured by Rockwell Automation. “In a few cases, this activity has resulted in operational disruption and financial loss,” the advisory warns. (13) The incursions ramped up as the war between the United States and Iran unfolded. “It’s well documented that Iranian actors target industrial control systems and see them as a nexus to apply pressure,” said Rob Lee, the CEO of the cybersecurity firm Dragos. “We have seen both state and non-state actors in Iran pose real risk and show willingness to hurt people through compromising these systems. I fully expect them to keep up the pressure and target those sites they can get access to,” he added. (14)
On July 31, 2026, ABC News reported that Iranian hackers launched cyberattacks against thirty water supply facilities in Minnesota. These attacks followed the same method as previous incursions targeting the programmable logic controllers at each location. In some cases, the hackers successfully changed passwords and were able to “lock out operators.” CISA further stated that the cyberattacks triggered notices to boil water, plus other issues. (15)
In an updated advisory from CISA, the FBI, and other government agencies, Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division stated, “Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible.” Jess Kramer, who is the Assistant Administrator for Water at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also chimed in. “Cybersecurity threats are a serious concern for our nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems, and these threats pose a legitimate risk to the communities, businesses, hospitals, schools, and other critical sectors that rely on these lifeline services,” she said. (16)
In terms of military force, the United States has the upper hand over Iran. However, since the war began, Iran has engaged in asymmetrical warfare and unconventional means to wreak havoc against the United States and its allies. This includes bombing American military installations in the Middle East, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz by attacking civilian tankers and ships, enlisting the Houthis to attack Saudi Arabia, and cyberwarfare against American assets including vital infrastructure. While the war has been calmer in recent months, reports suggest that President Trump is considering renewed strikes on Iran after the midterm elections have concluded on November 3, 2026. Speaking at a rally in Florida on October 23, 2026, Trump told the crowd, “We may do another little Epic Fury” as he referenced previous military operations against Iran. (17) On October 31, 2026, the President said the United States still needs to “take care of” one or two more targets in Iran. (18) In response, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reportedly told his top three military commanders that renewed strikes by the United States “must be met with an immediate and effective response, without geographical limitations.” He further added, “If the enemies once again launch military or terrorist attacks, it will be the Islamic Republic of Iran's Armed Forces and the Iranian nation that determine when and under what conditions those hostilities will end.” (19) A return to hostilities could easily lead to more cyber incursions with Iranian hackers targeting an assortment of American assets, including vital infrastructure.
AI Is Making Hackers More Dangerous
Elite hackers backed by hostile adversaries of the United States have long been a problem. However, the potential risk is now exponentially worse because of advanced artificial intelligence that can penetrate computers and internet devices far more efficiently than humans can. In some cases, nefarious actors have deployed AI to hack into financial systems. This includes a campaign against South Korean financial organizations that led to breaches at two banks. In another incident, a Chinese hacker used DeepSeek AI tools to steal data from thousands of bank customers. The hacker then used Anthropic’s Claude to ask for help on where to sell the data. (20)
In October 2026, digital bandits suspected of originating from North Korea hacked the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, and made off with an eye-watering $6.3 billion in assets. A report from the New York Times suggests the hackers may have used AI to pull off the heist. The crypto analytics firm Chainalysis said the thieves used “laundering patterns we have not seen before.” They further added, “Thousands of transactions in a short period suggest that the attackers are using automation to obscure the trail of funds.” (21) Eswar Prasad, an economics professor at Cornell University, warned the use of artificial intelligence is likely to lead to more cryptocurrency heists. “AI is undoubtedly turbocharging the ability of hackers to find and exploit subtle flaws in various parts of the crypto ecosystem. The scale and scope of such attacks is likely to intensify,” he said. (22)
Cryptocurrencies are digital assets often used to conduct online transactions. Their value can fluctuate wildly, and the currencies are not backed by any nation or government. While some have gotten rich trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, this recent hack demonstrates how risky trading crypto can be. As artificial intelligence becomes more capable, banks could easily become targets for digital thieves, too. AI is already widely used to carry out financial fraud. According to Morgan Stanley, AI-related fraud cost the American people a whopping $893 million in 2025. (23)
Artificial intelligence is not only a threat to the financial system but also to the very infrastructure of the internet itself. A piece by economist Paul Krugman, titled “Hack Apocalypse Now,” notes that “the dark side of AI is already here” and further argues that “AI will render the internet as we know it unusable - not at some point in the distant future, but in a matter of months.” Krugman cites a Reuters report that government websites in Europe were recently forced to shut down temporarily after AI uncovered vulnerabilities in the widely used PHP programming language. These flaws had been lurking in the language code for years without anyone noticing. Almost immediately after the flaws were uncovered, hackers began trying to exploit them. (24) Another report published by Reuters on October 23, 2026, suggests there will be more vulnerabilities forcing websites to go offline in the future. The piece quotes Matthew Prince, the CEO at the digital infrastructure firm Cloudflare, as saying, “I think we’re going to have a couple years where every single week it’s going to feel like the sky is falling.” (25)
Bill Gates, the famous billionaire who co-founded Microsoft, recently sat down for an interview with the New York Times’ Ezra Klein. In this interview Gates stated, “AI has crossed the threshold that its ability to empower a bioterrorist to kill hundreds of millions — that exists today. The ability to do a cyberattack that scrambles all of the bank accounts, shuts down the electric grid — that exists today, and we know that’s the case.” (26)
Interestingly enough, a piece published by Axios on October 9, 2026, claims that top executives at AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic are working on contingency plans to handle public fallout from a catastrophic AI event. The piece suggests such an event could include “a cyberattack that shuts down access to financial services, internet connectivity, or even power and water.” (27) When asked about their plans, OpenAI said in a statement, “OpenAI conducts preparedness exercises where teams discuss and work through a range of potential scenarios. These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances.” (28) However, Axios claims that many industry insiders told them they believe a major event will occur in the next six to twelve months. (29)
The FORTRESS Initiative
On October 25, 2026, Fox News issued a lengthy article detailing the Pentagon’s new FORTRESS initiative. The initiative stipulates that all U.S. military installations must be capable of sustaining operations for up to ninety days without outside support. The plans are being implemented in earnest over fears that future warfare could impact the critical civilian infrastructure of the United States. “We don't want to rely on standard civilian municipal infrastructure to run our national defense. We just simply can't. It's an intolerable risk,” explained Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell. Government officials seem especially concerned about the power grid’s vulnerability. “Power is combat now. Without electricity, you lose communications, water, logistics, assembly lines and just basic military command structures,” Parnell added. The plans call for the deployment of portable nuclear reactors, large-scale battery storage, and microgrids that are independent of the civilian power supply. Additionally, the plans call for the stockpiling of munitions, fuel, minerals, electronics, spare parts, and medical supplies. “The next conflict will likely be fought on multiple fronts. Look at the geopolitics behind any major war. When that happens, global supply chains will break,” Parnell said. (30)
The latest reports demonstrate that the United States and the entire world are facing many unprecedented risks. The scenarios outlined in this newsletter are possibilities, not certainties. I make no predictions about what the future may hold because I simply do not know what lies ahead. Ultimately, God is in control and only what He allows to happen can happen. Our survival is always dependent on Him, for as it tells us in Acts 17:27, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”
It is vitally important that we heed the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ found in Mark 13:33-37. These verses instruct us, “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. May the God of Heaven bless you abundantly. If you have any prayer requests, great or small, we invite you to send them our way. Our intercessors give each prayer request individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
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References
01. The New York Times, August 18, 2026, By Christopher Cox, nytimes.com.
02. Ibid.
03. Ibid.
04. Ibid.
05. Ibid.
06. KUOW News, March 10, 2023, By John Ryan, kuow.org.
07. WRAL News, December 3, 2024, By WRAL News, wral.com.
08. CBS News, December 6, 2022, By Kerry Breen, cbsnews.com.
09. WRAL News, Novembe 26, 2025, By Sarah Krueger, wral.com.
10. The New York Times, August 18, 2026, By Christopher Cox, nytimes.com.
11. National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience, April 30, 2024, By President Joseph R. Biden, presidency.ucsb.edu.
12. Executive Order 14421, August 26, 2026, By President Donald J. Trump, whitehouse.gov.
13. Wired Magazine, April 7, 2026, By Andy Greenberg, wired.com.
14. Ibid.
15. ABC News, July 31, 2026, By Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Shannon K. Kingston, Jack Date, and Ivan Pereira, abcnews.com.
16. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, July 22, 2026, https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCISA/bulletins/4219689.
17. Reuters, October 23, 2026, By Bo Erickson and Kanishka Singh, reuters.com.
18. CBS News, November 1, 2026, By Frank Andrews, Mark Osborne, and Khaled Wassef, cbsnews.com.
19. Axios, November 1, 2026, By Barak Ravid, axios.com.
20. Axios, October 9, 2026, By Maria Curi, axios.com.
21. The New York Times, October 30, 2026, By David Yaffe-Bellany and Dustin Volz, nytimes.com.
22. Ibid.
23. Morgan Stanley, morganstanley.com.
24. Substack, October 28, 2026, By Paul Krugman, paulkrugman.substack.com.
25. Reuters, October 23, 2026, By Raphael Satter and A.J. Vincens, reuters.com.
26. The New York Times, September 29, 2026, By Ezra Klein, nytimes.com.
27. Axios, October 9, 2026, By Maria Curi, axios.com.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Fox News, October 25, 2026, By Morgan Phillips, foxnews.com.
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