The Cost of Theft

For electric utilities, the greatest expense is often repairing the damage left behind. Grounding systems, perimeter fencing, equipment foundations, and other critical substation infrastructure can all be damaged when thieves remove grounding conductors, creating significant repair costs, operational disruptions, and potential safety concerns.

In this video, a veteran utility professional shares firsthand experience responding to a major substation theft where approximately 3,000 feet of grounding conductor was forcibly removed, leaving extensive damage throughout the site. The incident illustrates a challenge utilities across North America continue to face: the true financial impact of copper theft is driven by labor, reconstruction, outages, and restoration — not simply the scrap value of the stolen conductor. Industry studies have shown these repair costs can reach up to 100 times the value of the recovered copper.

Because of these realities, many utilities have adopted Copperweld^® Copper-Clad Steel (CCS) grounding conductors as part of a broader asset protection strategy. By combining copper conductivity with a high-strength steel core, CCS conductors provide the electrical performance required for grounding applications while offering significantly less scrap value than solid copper, helping reduce theft incentives without compromising system performance.