In early December, North Carolina faced a significant crisis when a power outage brought daily life to a halt for about 45,000 residents in Moore County. This disruption was traced back to a deliberate attack on two substations, leading to extensive damage that rendered the electricity grid inoperable. The attack, which occurred on the night of December 3, raised alarms not only for the local community but also for national security agencies. As local authorities scrambled to assess and repair the damage, FBI agents were dispatched to investigate the incident. They examined motives ranging from domestic terrorism to political statements against energy policies. The five-day outage occurred during a particularly cold period, exacerbating the difficulties faced by residents, some of whom were reliant on electric heat. Repair efforts were made more challenging by the complexity of the electrical systems involved and increased scrutiny regarding security measures for energy infrastructure across the nation.