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LA SAL, San Juan County — Rocky Mountain Power is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person who stole copper at a substation in La Sal that caused residents in La Sal and Moab to lose power.
The theft occurred on Dec. 28 when someone cut through a fence and removed about 100 feet of copper wiring at the substation, according to Rocky Mountain Power.
The crew at the substation was forced to shut down the work area in order to prevent more damage, repair equipment and avoid getting injured.
The theft caused nearly a thousand La Sal and Moab residents to lose power for more than four hours.
“People who try to steal copper from high voltage equipment put themselves and others in danger,” said Rocky Mountain Power substations manager Joseph Krempasky. “The damage is expensive to repair, and it is extremely problematic for those who lose their power in the middle of the winter.”
According to Rocky Mountain Power, the number of copper thefts across the country have risen with the price of copper and several would-be copper thieves have died or sustained serious injuries in their attempts, generally from electrocution.
Damaging the electric system can also cause outages and puts, not only the thief at risk, but the crew as well as they work on the local power grid.
Rocky Mountain Power is working with the San Juan Sheriff’s Office to investigate the incident and asks the public to report any information related to the crime.
Those with any knowledge of the theft can contact the San Juan Sheriff’s Office at 435-587-2237.
Liesl is a web reporter at KSL.com, section editor of KSL's Tech and Science section and a student at Brigham Young University. You can email her at lnielsen@ksl.com.
