Far-right extremists plotting to attack the energy sector as gas prices finally start to drop: report

After months of pain at the pump, including a price spike in early October as oil refineries closed for maintenance in key parts of the country, Americans are finally beginning to see some relief as gas prices begin to come down.

But according to Newsweek, as all of this is happening, far-right extremists and domestic terrorists are plotting small scale attacks on the energy sector all over the country — and some have already acted.

"Newsweek has obtained two documents that offer an insight into the scope of the threat, including reports of several actual attacks that have happened in past few months," reported Tom O'Connor and Naveed Jamali. "The first is a corporate intelligence security memo detailing at least 15 instances over the course of just over a year showing suspected extremists openly threatening and calling for acts of sabotage against energy sites, especially electricity substations, but also including other targets such as cell towers and pipelines."

"The material included documents that could serve to help groups and individuals in carrying out such attacks, including maps, manuals and instructions on the vulnerabilities of electricity infrastructure and readily accessible methods to disrupt their operation," said the report. "Those behind the posts, which were shared across various online platforms and chat rooms, expressed ties to a number of anti-government ideologies, mostly far-right and neo-Nazi beliefs, but also including eco-militancy and at least one user who shared messaging supportive of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS)."

According to the report, some of these attacks include sabotage at an electrical transformer servicing the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota, a shooting at a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) facility in California that triggered a chemical spill; and another shooting at a transformer in southern Oklahoma that caused an oil spill and a blackout that cut power to thousands of people.

Gas prices have been a significant focus of political energy in the midterm campaign. Republicans have been attempting to blame the surge in fuel costs on President Joe Biden's supposed animosity to oil drilling, even though oil production has risen since Biden took office and oil companies themselves have been slow to participate in the administration's lease auctions.

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