The local environment around copper in the Cu2O.Al2O3.4SiO2 and CuO.Al23.4SiO2 glasses was investigated using the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique. It has been found that each Cu(I) in the former glass is coordinated to two oxygens through covalent Cu(I)-O bonds. This is the primary reason for its low thermal expansion coefficient (approximately 10 x 10(-7) K-1). In the latter glass, which was made by heating the former glass at 600-degrees-C in air, each Cu(II) is coordinated to four oxygens and the bonds are ionic in character, contributing to the increase in the thermal expansion coefficient to approximately 30 x 10(-7) K-1.