1). Why would it be concealed?
2). Why would it show up where it wasn’t a few weeks before?
There is a push underway in the electric industry know as CIP5. It is a cyber-security initiative run by NERC. The final deadline to be compliant is only a couple months away (most companies are trying to “go live” by end of Feb. so they can shake down their systems and migrate away from the CIP3 regulations —overhead—). Some companies have been installing these things as linesmen are visiting certain poles, other designated areas not so heavily visited are most likely now being scheduled and a heavy rollout is underway. Non-compliance carries with it very steep fines.
Judging by the camera’s being labeled with the wi-fi vlan IP address (dumb idea BTW) and the SCADA marking’s on teh exterior of the secured boxes, these guys basically just messed with the electric grid in an albeit non-intrusive way.
Oh, and it is not a concealed thing, it’s more a weather proof thing and security thing (i.e., no critters getting at the infrastructure).
They are showing up to comply with FERC and NERC requirements;
Utility Substations for the Physical Security Requirements of NERC-CIP-014
Effective in 2016, the North American Reliability Corp. (NERC) will implement a new set of security requirements (CIP-014-1) for utility substations to effectively deter, detect, delay, assess, communicate and respond to physical security threats, with non-compliance fees reaching as high as $1 million per day of violation.