TVA enlisting neighbors to watch for theft

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The Tennessee Valley Authority, which has some customers in North Georgia, is asking people who live near its power substations to watch for copper thieves.

TVA spokesman Scott Brooks in Knoxville said thieves have been attracted to copper because of the increasing value of the metal, and copper thefts have increased across the region served by the federal utility.

Brooks said last week that copper is used for grounding wire in all of the utility's electric power installations.

TVA has its own police force, and officers have been going door to door in neighborhoods near TVA switch yards, substations and construction sites, asking people who live nearby to report any suspicious activity.


(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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