(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) Copper theft is quickly becoming one of the energy industry's biggest issues, but not from a financial standpoint as much as a safety perspective.

With this in mind, E.ON U.S. announced today that it is hiring extra security personnel for its various sites. In addition to the added security, Louisville Gas and Electric Company, Kentucky Utilities Company and Old Dominion Power have begun using copper-weld, a steel conductor with a thin copper coating, instead of copper. Copper-weld's composition makes it far less valuable as scrap. The companies are also increasing lighting and security patrols at their facilities.

Copper is widely used throughout the industry in a variety of applications, but with the price of copper steadily increasing over the past few years, so has the level of theft. In recent months, LG&E, KU and ODP have experienced widespread incidents of theft throughout areas served in Kentucky and Virginia. These incidents include break-ins at service centers and substations as well as the removal of material from poles.

Theft of copper from electric facilities presents a real danger to the thieves, the general public and utility personnel. Recently, a man was killed and two other people were injured in to the course of an apparent attempted theft of copper from a KU transformer.

Theft of copper from utility equipment leaves an unsafe area where the general public and utility personnel can be exposed to harm by ungrounded equipment and damaged gates and fences. Theft of copper can also cause power outages.

"The loss of property is minimal in the scheme of things," said Chris Hermann, senior vice president, Energy Delivery. "Copper theft is a nationwide issue that endangers innocent people. When common criminals remove copper components, it leaves a very dangerous situation for our employees and the public.

"This needs to be stopped. Whether this additional security helps catch one or 20 criminals, it will further ensure the safety of innocent people and that is the most important thing to us."

Other utilities across the nation also have seen increases in copper thefts as well as the level of risk the thieves are willing to take to get to the copper. Thieves have been killed while trying to steal copper in several states including Indiana and Alabama.

ODP is presently pressing the prosecution of suspects caught with what appears to be ODP equipment and all three companies will press prosecution of people caught stealing copper. Anyone seeing suspicious activity at a LG&E, KU or ODP facility should stay away from the site and notify the companies at either 1-800-331-7370 for LG&E or 1-800-981-0600 for KU or ODP.

E.ON U.S. LLC, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor-owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 321,000 natural gas and 394,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 525,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.