The United States has ample copper resources but has “lost our way” when it comes to processing and refining the metal domestically, a senior Department of Energy official said, as Washington accelerates efforts to secure supplies considered increasingly important to artificial intelligence and reindustrialization.
“Copper will play a very significant role,” US Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said in the interview. While the US remains resource-rich in copper, Robertson said rebuilding domestic processing and refining capacity will be critical as demand grows from electrification, manufacturing and AI infrastructure.
Her comments come as copper trades near record levels and Washington pours new funding into critical-mineral supply chains. The Department of Energy has recently announced $500 million for processing, battery manufacturing and recycling projects, alongside new research funding targeting copper, rare earths and gallium.
Robertson said the challenge extends well beyond copper, describing America’s struggle to rebuild mining and processing capacity as a decades-long “battle of economic warfare over resources.” She said federal support should help de-risk new projects, but ultimately the businesses receiving that support must be able to operate profitably without permanent government backing.
