The Pacific Northwest has a copper theft problem. Seattle police say this type of crime has increased 300% in the city since 2016. 

And it's hitting Seattle's mom and pop shops especially hard, because often they're the target of these robberies. 

We're in the midst of a big shift from a fossil fuel-based economy to one powered by electricity. And that's made copper more valuable than ever. 

On today's episode, why is copper theft surging in the PNW? And can anything be done about it? 

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Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.