NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The state's largest electric utility is urging customers to watch out for copper theft. Every September, PNM marks Copper Theft Awareness Month. Last year, the utility said it received 110 reports of copper theft from businesses. They said copper is a popular target for thieves because of its high market value, but theft can cause power outages and expensive repair costs.

PNM shared the story of one nonprofit that fell victim to thieves. "They actually didn't get much copper out of our building, but they did cause a lot of damage, which caused our programs to close for nearly four months," said Jill Beets, VP of Marketing, Adelante.

If you believe copper has been stolen from your property, contact PNM and Crime Stoppers.

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