PES Energize, the municipal electric and broadband utility in Pulaski, Tenn., says a cybersecurity incident has shut down phones and computer systems, closing its customer lobby and shifting outage reporting to backup channels.
In a statement posted on social media, the utility said it is working with federal agencies and outside cybersecurity partners to analyze and resolve the issue. The company said it has taken some systems offline as a precaution while the investigation continues.
The incident has disabled internal phones and computers, leaving the PES Energize customer lobby closed and staff unable to accept payments in person or by phone, according to multiple posts from the utility. Customers were told the lobby would remain closed while staff “work through these issues.”
To keep critical services reachable, PES Energize directed customers to use alternate numbers and other channels for reporting electric and fiber outages and for making payments.
Despite the disruption, PES Energize said it has “no indication that customer data has been compromised” at this time, though officials did not say what systems were targeted or whether any data review is underway. The utility also did not clarify whether any power or broadband delivery systems were affected, beyond internal phones and office computers.
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PES Energize serves as the board of public utilities for the city of Pulaski and operates the city’s electric transmission and distribution system, while also providing broadband internet and telephone service in Giles County. The utility describes itself as Tennessee’s oldest electric municipality.
Tennessee public agencies and institutions have seen a string of cyber disruptions in the past year, including a “network incident” that shut down some city systems in La Vergne, a ransomware attack on the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and separate network breaches reported by Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Rutherford County Schools and Southwest Tennessee Community College.
For now, PES Energize says its focus is on restoring “full operations” and maintaining the security of its systems while investigators work. Customers are being asked to rely on alternate outage-reporting and payment options and to watch the utility’s website and social channels for further updates.
