Mining Is Mired in Regulatory Delays. That’s Now a Climate Problem.

By Simon Lomax, Greg Clough and Morgan Bazilian – Barron’s

At a fundamental level, the energy transition involves the reorganization of the global economy around the metals and other raw materials used to build solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and other climate-friendly energy technologies.

To ensure minerals like copper and lithium are produced at scale and as responsibly and securely as possible, we need to ramp up production here in the U.S. and in other countries that share our commitment to human rights, environmental stewardship, and a rules-based international order.

Put simply, support for climate action is support for mining. The faster we can build new mines in the U.S., the faster the energy transition will move.

But there’s a major roadblock—permitting delays and associated litigation.