Officials at Green Mountain Power say that copper thefts at sub-stations are threatening the lives of utility workers and the public.
As many as four GMP sub-stations have been vandalized in the past two months.
Matt McCoy is GMP’s safety director.
He says his greatest fear is an incident where a life would be lost.
"Well, two concerns, one for the person stealing the copper, but then if they start cutting things like chains that bind the gates closed, now we have gates that are open, then from there it’s all kinds of possibilities," he said.
McCoy says the company is worried that an unsecured gate could lead to tragedy for a vandal, an employee, or even an unsuspecting child wandering into the sub-station.
He says that repairs to sub-stations can also lead to emergency service interruptions.
GMP is asking the public to alert the company or police if they see non-utility vehicles or people near sub-stations.