The U.S. has enough copper to meet surging demand from AI data centers. But securing that supply depends on a robust, all-of-the-above strategy.

From Copper Development Association Inc.

I remember what I was taught in school. Copper is an industrial metal, it is one of the building blocks – aluminium, copper, steel, tin etc – of a modern industrial economy. Take away all the stuff everyone is so fixated on and go back to the basics for a minute. The 16% of the people in the world who live in developed economies have washing machines, AC, Tv’s, power lines, hospitals, schools, infrastructure, auto’s, just look around at what we have with Cu in it. Then look at what the 84% of the people who live in ‘developing’ economies have NOT got. Most all of the above. Copper usage per person in developed economies is roughly 7 to 12kg kg per person; India is 0.05kg per person. In 2050, 1 in 4 persons alive will be African, 0.25 kg Cu/capita/year. The people living in developing economies will never get to have for themselves and their families what we have, will not even get close. The world would run out of copper before they got a third of the way there. Now pile on the fact everything now driving the world economy – EV, AI data centers solar, electrification, etc. – is copper intensive, including war. Rick Mills