Copper theft continues to be a growing concern for electric utilities across the country. As copper prices rise due to global demand and supply uncertainties outside of the United States, thieves are increasingly targeting utility poles, substations, and other equipment.
Over the past five years, Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange has reported three substation vandalism claims totaling $1.3 million and 39 copper theft claims resulting $633,000 in losses for North Carolina Electric Cooperatives. These crimes create dangerous conditions and drive up costs that ultimately affect all members.
Here in CCEC’s service territory, a recent incident in Craven County underscored how serious this problem has become. Two Havelock residents were arrested after authorities say they stole copper wire from roughly 60 utility poles in the Harlowe community. The individuals allegedly drove from pole to pole, spending several minutes at each location while using hand tools to cut and pull grounding wire, all while watching for passing traffic. They now face multiple felony charges, including injuring utility fixtures, felony larceny, obtaining property by false pretense, and conspiracy. Both were placed under a $350,000 secured bond.
Copper theft is far from a victimless crime. Grounding wire is essential to system safety and reliability. When it is removed, the electric system becomes more vulnerable to outages, dangerous voltage fluctuations, and failures of surge protection equipment. These conditions endanger the public, put lineworkers at risk, and can even prove life-threatening to the thieves themselves. Repairs require significant time and resources, and repeated incidents create operational costs that are ultimately shared across the membership.
State leaders have strengthened the legal penalties for tampering with utility infrastructure. In 2023, following the Moore County substation attacks that cut power to 45,000 homes for nearly a week, North Carolina enacted HB 58. The law increases penalties for intentional damage to energy facilities, which include substations, transmission assets, and distribution lines. Destroying or damaging an energy facility is now a Class C felony, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 19 years.
CCEC and law enforcement continue to work collaboratively to combat theft. North Carolina requires a state license to sell copper to a scrapyard, and CCEC has established relationships with local scrapyards to help trace suspicious transactions after incidents. It is also important for members to know that much of the grounding wire on poles is copper-coated steel. In many cases, stolen material has little or no scrap value.
What You Can Do
Members play a key role in safeguarding the cooperative’s infrastructure. Staying alert and reporting suspicious activity can make a meaningful difference. The suspects in Craven County were ultimately caught because a vigilant member captured video of their actions and reported it to law enforcement.
If you believe someone is willfully damaging utility equipment, contact law enforcement immediately. If you are unsure whether a crew is authorized to be working in your area, call CCEC first. All cooperative vehicles are GPS-equipped, allowing our operations team to quickly verify the location and authorization of personnel in the field. When in doubt, err on the side of caution.
Copper theft threatens the reliability of the electric grid we all depend on. By staying aware and working together, we can help protect our community, strengthen electric system security, and keep everyone safe.