DANGEROUS, EXPENSIVE, A THREAT TO RELIABILITY
Dangerous
Each and every year, thousands of copper wire thefts occur across North America that not only putting the safety of the thief at risk but emergency responders, utility workers, and local residents.
This ultimately results in power outages, increased costs to utilities that are ultimately passed on to taxpayers, injuries, and in some cases, even deaths.
Expensive
Copper wire theft costs the electricity sector are significant. Estimated by stealthmonitoring.com copper thefts have tripled within the last 5 years.
With copper pricing over $200US, the amount of copper stolen now exceeds $1 billion US annually.
Like all consumer-based sectors, these costs are eventually passed on to the tax payers through higher electricity bills.
The costs are even greater when the downstream impacts on other sectors, including telecommunications and construction, are considered.
Copper wire theft also threatens the reliability of the electricity system that the North American public and businesses count on every day. While power outages are inconvenient for families,
they can also jeopardize critical infrastructure, disrupting vital services such as emergency care in hospitals.
The CEA – the voice of electricity in Canada – has release its policy paper on copper wire theft
(SECOND EDITION RELEASED JANUARY 2015). The paper,
Copper Theft from Canada’s Electricity Infrastructure: Dangerous, Expensive and a Threat to Reliability,
highlights the serious impacts of copper theft and outlines four detailed recommendations to deter the theft of copper across the country.
Back in Sept. 15/2008 in an Intelligence Assessment prepared by the FBI Criminal Intelligence Section published Copper Thefts Threaten US Critical Infrastructure, https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/copper-thefts
About copper wire theft
A rise in scrap metal prices is making copper attractive to thieves.
Safety concern
Live energized Substations targeted by copper thieves are growing areas of concern, as high-voltage equipment should only be handled by trained professionals.
Tips to Help Stop Copper Wire Theft.