BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ --For over 100 years, Copperweld has been on the front lines of bimetals innovation, engineering products that address real-world challenges. In this article, we explore how Copperweld Copper-Clad Steel (CCS) and Copper-Clad Aluminum (CCA) products address one of the biggest issues facing utilities and home builders today: copper theft.

The Staggering Costs of Copper Theft

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates copper theft costs U.S. businesses around $1 billion every year.¹ Copper wiring, prized for its high scrap value, is a frequent target. Residential construction sites, utility poles, and substation fences are especially vulnerable, particularly in unmonitored or remote locations.

Insurance data underscores the scale of the crisis: one report identified 33,775 claims for metal theft, with 96% of these cases involving copper.²

The Impact on the Construction Industry: Delays, Costs, and Damage
Builders face unique challenges, with an estimated 8% of copper wiring in new construction lost to theft or pilferage.¹ This equates to 15.7 million pounds of copper annually—enough to wire 112,000 homes. For contractors, the replacement cost of stolen wire is just the beginning. Damaged electrical components, broken drywall, and ruined appliances often require costly repairs. Every theft delays project timelines, frustrating customers, increasing labor costs, and adding significant financial strain.

Construction sites are especially vulnerable during off-hours, when unmonitored and unsecured areas become prime targets. While thieves often remove wiring from within homes, they can also strip external equipment, leaving builders to face costly rework and replacement.

The Impact on Utilities: Widespread Risks and Costs
For utilities, copper theft poses significant risks to infrastructure and public safety. Substations and distribution poles, often located in remote or unmonitored areas, are prime targets. Grounding wires, which are critical for system stability and safety, are frequently stolen from these locations. This compromises the electrical grid, increasing the likelihood of power surges, outages, and safety hazards for utility workers and the public. In some cases, stolen grounding wires have led to catastrophic equipment failures, fires, or extensive grid damage.

Repairing these thefts requires significant labor and materials, escalating costs for utilities and, ultimately, consumers. Additionally, the absence of grounding wires from distribution poles disables safety mechanisms that protect against electrical faults, creating further vulnerabilities in the system.

How CCS and CCA Provide a New Solution
Copperweld Copper-Clad Steel (CCS) and Copper-Clad Aluminum (CCA) are engineered not just to perform as high-performance conductors but also to reduce theft incentives.

1. CCS Grounding Conductors: A Physical and Economic Barrier
Copperweld CCS grounding conductors combines a steel core with a copper cladding. This unique construction makes it difficult to cut using traditional tools like wire cutters or hacksaws. Grounding wires—often exposed and easy targets for thieves—become a formidable challenge when made from CCS.

Even if a thief successfully cuts and removes a section, they face a second barrier. Scrap metal buyers, familiar with CCS's low copper content, refuse to purchase it or offer a fraction of the price for pure copper. The result? Thieves quickly learn that targeting CCS is not worth the effort, time, or risk.

2. CCA Building Wire: A Thief's One-and-Done Encounter
Copperweld CCA, with its lightweight aluminum core and metallurgically bonded copper cladding, delivers similar results. Thieves unfamiliar with the material will likely notice its lighter weight and distinct construction and then abandon it after a single attempt. Scrap yards pay far less for CCA building wire, further reducing theft incentives.

Builders and electrical contractors who switch to CCA report near-total elimination of theft. "Since we started installing Copperweld building wire, we have basically eliminated wire theft," says Joe Strada of Strada Services. These results are echoed across industries, from new home construction to utility maintenance.

Stories from the Field
Copperweld customers consistently report that CCS and CCA significantly reduce theft incentives. For Ryan McHugh of Hi Power Electric, the benefits became clear after a break-in. Thieves emptied a storage container of tools and valuables but left behind rolls of Copperweld wire. "Our CCA wire rolls were left in place while other items were stolen," McHugh explains.

Ken White of WB Electric highlights additional advantages of using bimetals. "Changing to Copperweld has been beneficial all around. On the company side, it's saved on loss of product; on the labor side, it's saved on rework; on the customer side, it's helped us finish homes faster."

The Hidden Costs of Copper Theft
While stolen copper is an immediate concern, the downstream effects are often more damaging. For contractors, the replacement cost of stolen wire is only part of the equation. Damaged electrical components, broken drywall, and ruined appliances often require costly repairs. Every incidence of theft delays project timelines, frustrating customers and increasing labor costs.

Utilities face similar challenges. When grounding wire or substation equipment is stolen, it can take days or weeks to restore service, leading to downtime, public safety hazards, and loss of trust. The labor-intensive task of rewiring also diverts resources from other critical maintenance activities.

Breaking the Theft Cycle

The genius of CCS and CCA lies in their ability to break the cycle of theft by removing the financial incentive. Thieves who attempt to steal CCS or CCA wires quickly discover that their efforts yield very little reward. Most scrap yards are not equipped to recycle CCS and CCA, and so, they refuse these materials or pay significantly less than for copper, leaving thieves "bimetal educated" after their first attempt.

Repeat thefts are rare. Copperweld CCA building wire, for example, is so distinct in its construction that even novice thieves can recognize it after a single encounter. Unlike pure copper, which incentivizes continuous theft, CCS and CCA create an environment where stealing wire is a waste of time and effort.

A Strategic Advantage Against Copper Theft
Copperweld's Supermetals are more than just alternatives to copper—they are strategic tools in the fight against theft. By choosing CCS and CCA, businesses can take action to protect their assets, reduce downtime, and save on labor and replacement costs. From substations to utility poles and new home construction, Copperweld is helping industries safeguard their operations against a costly epidemic.

Copperweld continues to innovate for a changing world. Whether saving copper for green initiatives, resisting corrosion, adding strength, or reducing theft incentives, Copperweld's bimetallic Supermetals are designed to address the challenges of today—and tomorrow.

Learn more about Copperweld building wire products.

Sources:

1. https://www.isri.org/docs/default-source/scrap-metals-theft/sheriff-magazine-feature-article-september-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=2&sfvrsn=2
2. https://www.nicb.org/news/blog/thieves-turn-copper-theft-gold 

Copperweld is the world leader in bimetallic wire and cable specializing in power, grounding, and signal conductors for building construction, power grid, utilities, communications, and transportation. For over 100 years, their mission has been to make the most reliable, sustainable, and innovative wire and cable products on the market. Copperweld's metallurgical expertise and engineered solutions result in bimetallic products that enhance performance, extend service life, conserve copper, improve energy efficiency, and reduce theft incentives. Their American-made products are manufactured in the USA, and the culture of excellence and innovation that inspired them over a century ago still drives them today.

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