Dive Summary:
- There have been four copper wire thefts in two months at Green Mountain Power (GMP) substations in Vermont, posing a threat to the lives of the thieves and utility workers attempting to repair the missing grounding material, which is usually live.
- Unstripped copper wire, such as that stolen from GMP, goes for about $2 per pound, meaning that the thieves risked electric shock and possibly death for an estimated $100 in scrap metal.
- Police say that no one has been arrested in connection with the break-ins and that they are not yet sure whether the burglaries are related.
From the article:
"... Jeremy Baker, a GMP spokesman, said four substations in central and southern Vermont have been hit in the past two months, including a theft from a Newfane facility a week ago.
'Every piece of wire in a substation serves a purpose in delivering electricity,' said Matt McCoy, GMP’s safety director. 'The risk of death or maiming vandals expose themselves to in cutting wire from a substation is mind-boggling.' ..."