P37.114: Substation Physical Security
Objective
Secure and resilient transmission and substation infrastructure is essential to public safety, economic stability, and national security. These assets face an evolving spectrum of threats from both natural hazards—such as severe weather events—and man-made risks including vandalism, theft, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), and other deliberate or accidental intrusions. Disruptions to substations can result in prolonged outages, safety hazards to personnel and the public, and cascading impacts across critical infrastructure sectors.
The objective of this research is to strengthen substation physical security by improving situational awareness, detection accuracy, and response effectiveness associated with physical security events. The project focuses on evaluating vulnerabilities, understanding threat mechanisms, and advancing technologies that enable utilities to detect, assess, and respond to abnormal conditions in and around substations. Particular emphasis is placed on objective evaluation of detection technologies, advancement of robotics for situational awareness, and improved understanding of UAS activity near substations.
Through objective, third-party research, laboratory-based testing, and industry collaboration, this work provides utilities with a defensible technical foundation to support risk-based decisions related to security technology selection, deployment, and operational practices. The research is intended to reduce uncertainty associated with emerging technologies, improve protection of critical assets, and enhance system reliability and safety in the face of evolving physical security threats.
Research Value
- Improves substation physical security by increasing accuracy and reliability of threat detection and situational awareness technologies.
- Provides utilities with objective, third-party evaluations of detection devices to support informed and defensible technology deployment decisions.
- Enhances understanding of how robotics and automation can support safer and more effective response to physical security events.
- Strengthens awareness of UAS activity near substations, reducing operational risk and supporting development of appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Supports protection of public and employee safety while improving reliability of critical electric infrastructure.
Approach
This project employs a multi-year, layered research approach that combines laboratory testing, field-relevant evaluations, technology scouting, and industry collaboration to address evolving physical security challenges. Recognizing that physical security requirements and regulatory frameworks vary globally, the research incorporates lessons learned from utilities operating in different regions to identify best practices and reduce adoption risk. Key research activities include the following tasks:
Intrusion Detection Device Accuracy and Performance Evaluation Conduct objective, repeatable evaluations of commercially available intrusion and detection technologies to assess accuracy, reliability, and applicability in substation environments. This work focuses on understanding detection performance, false alarms, environmental sensitivities, and operational limitations to support informed specification and deployment decisions.
Robotics for Substation Situational Awareness Evaluate automated and teleoperated robotic technologies for enhancing situational awareness during physical security events. Laboratory-based scenarios representative of security incidents will be used to assess how robotics can improve visibility, reduce response times, limit personnel exposure, and support operations at unmanned or restricted-access substations.
UAS Awareness and Detection Assess technologies capable of detecting and characterizing UAS activity near substations, including evaluation of detection effectiveness, limitations, and potential unintended operational impacts. Continuous technology scouting will be conducted to maintain awareness of rapidly evolving UAS detection solutions and emerging threat trends.
Anticipated Deliverables
| Deliverable | Date |
|---|---|
| Detection Device Accuracy and Performance Assessment – Technical Update | 12/31/2027 |
| UAS Awareness and Detection around Substations – Technical Update | 12/31/2027 |
Past EPRI Work on Topic
| Product ID | Title | Description | Published Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3002032937 | UAS Detection Technologies: New Technology Assessment | Testing of sensor fusion system for UAS Detection | December 2025 |
| 3002032938 | Robotics for Physical Security Assets – Next Steps in Research | Compiling AI analytics with robotic inspections | December 2025 |
| 3002028197 | Compendium of 2014–2021 EPRI Ballistic and Blast Testing Technical Reports | Compendium of all EPRI ballistics testing for T&S assets | December 2023 |