I really suspect the veracity of such reporting. If it really was “coiled wire”, then it was not in place and being used. Also, most if not all transmission lines use aluminum wire, not copper. Poor reporting as usual.
May I suggest then that the real problem is your not having actually READ the REPORTING to begin with?
If you go to the link and read the whole article, it details why it was copper wire, and how it was taken, and plans on eliminating this problem in the future.
Matter of fact, the article contained an excellent AMOUNT and ACCURACY of REPORTING.