The widening gap between copper supply and demand will have an impact on economic development and energy futures

Adam C. Simon, Lawrence M. Cathles, Dan Wood, and Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian write about how copper is essential for modern economies including: energy systems, data centers, defense applications, space cooling and heating, heavy industry, smart agriculture, transportation, and consumer goods.  They show that copper is unlikely to be mined fast enough to meet all these needs in the short to medium term.  February 2, 2026.