Copper has been called the mineral of electrification. We will need a massive amount of it to support the rapid growth in demand for electricity.
And there’s a problem – we won’t have enough of it. What should utilities be doing about the copper shortage?
After years of relatively flat demand for electricity, utilities have been caught by surprise by the dramatic growth of AI data centers, electrification and reshoring of manufacturing. This has alerted utilities to the impending supply risks of a minerals-based energy system, which underpins both global economic and social prosperity.
In this article, Paul Donnellan explores what utilities should be doing about the copper shortage and the best way to mitigate it’s effects.
