Before the first server racks are installed or a single AI model begins processing data, the copper wiring that will power those machines is already vanishing from construction sites. Thieves across the United States are stripping the metal from facilities still under construction, a problem security experts describe as accelerating in lockstep with the data center building boom. A typical large AI data center requires between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds of copper, according to the Copper Development Association.
That copper forms the backbone of the electrical infrastructure needed to handle power loads up to 10 times greater than those of traditional servers. The metal is often installed in accessible areas during the construction phase, leaving it exposed to theft.
Thieves target both raw copper wire and finished components such as bus bars and transformers. With scrap copper fetching roughly $4 per pound in early 2025, a single theft of 1,000 pounds nets a quick $4,000. The losses go beyond the material itself: reinstallation labor adds 20 to 30 percent to the original cost, meaning a $50,000 copper order could require an additional $10,000 to $15,000 to replace.
The urgency is compounded by the sheer scale of new construction. The Uptime Institute reports that more than 100 AI data centers are planned in the United States in 2025 alone, each one a potential target for metal thieves.
The Essential Role of Copper in AI Infrastructure
Copper is not merely a component in these facilities; it is the conduit through which enormous electrical loads must flow safely and efficiently. It runs through power distribution cables, grounding systems, and cooling equipment.
Without it, the high power demands of AI servers — which consume up to ten times the electricity of conventional servers — cannot be met. The metal’s high conductivity and ductility have made it the standard for electrical wiring since the late nineteenth century, following the commercial adoption of the electric light and the telephone. By the early twentieth century, copper wire was the backbone of urban power grids, telephone networks, and home electrical systems.
That fundamental role has persisted for more than a century. Copper wiring remains the preferred choice for most electrical applications because it resists corrosion, handles heat well, and is easily joined.
The current surge in demand is driven by artificial intelligence, as the facilities that run AI servers require vast amounts of copper to distribute electricity and cool equipment. Yet the very properties that make copper indispensable also make it a persistent target for scrap-metal thieves. Price spikes over previous decades have led to widespread theft from construction sites, utilities, and vacant buildings.
That pattern has now collided with an unprecedented data center building boom, creating a persistent vulnerability at the intersection of high scrap value and exposed wiring under construction.
Construction Sites as Prime Targets
The thefts are not random. Thieves specifically target copper that is installed in accessible areas during construction, including raw wire and finished components such as bus bars and transformers. The labor costs to reinstall stolen copper add 20 to 30 percent to the material cost, according to security experts.
That means a $50,000 copper order could cost an additional $10,000 to $15,000 to replace. With over 100 new AI data centers planned in the United States in 2025, according to the Uptime Institute, each new facility represents a potential target.
The rapid pace of construction means more sites are vulnerable. Security experts recommend using copper-clad steel or aluminum alternatives, but these materials are less conductive and may not meet the performance requirements for AI workloads. That leaves builders in a bind: use the vulnerable metal or risk systems that underperform.
The result is delays and added expense for projects already racing to meet growing demand for computing power. Copper’s role as the electrical backbone of modern infrastructure has remained unchanged for over a century, but the collision of AI’s insatiable power needs with a construction boom has turned that essential metal into a magnet for thieves.
By nightfall, another construction site will be locked down. The copper will still be there. For now.
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