power company grounding

[electricalperson]

whenever we do an underground service from the pole to a transformer pad nstar makes us put a 4 awg bare conductor on the pvc pipes before they cover with concrete and the end of the wire comes up out of the ground next to the pole.

what is the purpose of this? is this a concrete encased electrode to ground the shield of the medium volt cable they pull in?

 

[LarryFine]

On the pipe, or in it? If it's outside, it might be to enable underground tracing of the conduit. Plastic gas piping also has a tracer wire.