From The Editor

The copper industry moved another inch closer to its objective last week.  But its goal of a place on the United States Geological Survey’s Critical Minerals List is not quite there yet.

With strong bipartisan support (imagine that), the House of Representatives passed HR 8446, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act. The bill would modify the Energy Act of 2020 to expand the definition of critical minerals to include critical materials designated by the Department of Energy.

The marriage between the two is sought  by the Copper Development Association and others in the red metals space.

In 2022, the USGS released its list of critical minerals, an itemization that suspiciously excluded copper. Inclusion on the list would, among other things, streamline the process for getting new raw material sources online.

The CDA has been fighting the exclusion ever since, with its case growing stronger when the DoE did include the red metal on its almost-identically named, but not as potent, Critical Materials List.

CDA President and CEO Adam Estelle was, not surprisingly, enthused by the vote in the House. “This vote highlights copper’s essential role in powering America’s energy future, electrifying transportation, creating jobs and strengthening infrastructure. This is a significant win for U.S. manufacturing, the clean energy transition, and our nation’s global competitiveness.”