Clark County launched a pilot program Thursday to install solar-powered streetlights in an area of ​​the Las Vegas Valley that is heavily affected by copper wire theft.

Workers have begun installing 12 solar streetlights on St. Louis Avenue, just east of Fremont Street. According to Jimmy Benoit, director of traffic for the Clark County Public Works Department, streetlights along that stretch of road had remained dark for months due to theft of copper wires.

Since 2002, thieves have torn up about 1000,000 feet of copper wire in the county, costing local government millions of dollars, according to Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft.

“This only applies to unincorporated Clark County,” Naft said. “This is a problem in every municipality and county in Southern Nevada and across the state.”

The ongoing problems caused by copper theft prompted district authorities to look for alternatives for street lighting in the problem areas.

Each solar street light costs about $5,600, including materials and installation, Benoit said, bringing the total cost of the dozen that will be installed Thursday to $67,200.

The county will review the data associated with the pilot program at a later date to determine if it is cost-effective enough to deploy it in other problem areas in the county. Compared to a traditional street light, solar versions require more maintenance to ensure they are working properly, so a big part of the program will be monitoring the maintenance of the solar panels and whether it is economically feasible.

“You have to keep the trees away from them. You have to make sure they’re solid and secure and can hold a charge,” Benoit said. “Batteries obviously have a lifespan, but I’ve heard reports that these have a really good lifespan. So we’re hoping this is a good way to go.”

Copper wire theft occurs both on a small scale, mainly by homeless people, and on a large scale through organized operations, Naft said. In some cases, after teams replace copper wire in an area, the wire is stolen again within a few days.

Clark County also moved wires from underground to above ground earlier this year at the intersection of Charleston Boulevard and Lamb Avenue, another area heavily targeted by copper thieves.

“It’s proven to be a good deterrent so far,” Benoit said. “So we’re weighing all of our options to see what works best for us.”

In addition to exploring various streetlight options, the county will also seek legislation aimed at increasing penalties for theft and sale of copper. The county is working with neighboring jurisdictions on a similar proposal to make it easier for law enforcement to enforce, should the bill pass next year.

“We are working closely with the City of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson to develop a similar regulation that will make it more difficult to sell this scrap metal,” Naft said. “When copper wire is worthless, it reduces the likelihood of it being stolen.”

County officials are also working with local law enforcement to educate them on signs of possible copper theft and are urging area residents to also be on the lookout for suspicious activity.

“We tell the public that if you see a cap at the bottom of a street pole, that is a sign that someone may come and tamper with the pole the next day. So be alert, look out for it and let us know if you see any signs like that, report it and we will continue to take action against it.”

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickaker on X.