Want clean energy and jobs? Then don’t kill copper mine
Arizona can be a key producer and employer in America’s clean energy future, but not if legislation shuts down the proposed Resolution Copper mine first
Making the Biden administration’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan a reality will require two things: skilled workers and a reliable source for raw materials.
Arizona has the potential to supply both. The nation’s clean energy transformation could be an enormous boost to our state’s economy for generations to come if we make smart investments right now with the needs of working families in mind.
The most obvious opportunity for Arizona lies in copper, arguably the most important metal needed to power our clean energy future. The U.S. needs copper to build electric vehicles and charging stations.
We need it for wind turbines and solar panels, as well as the transmission lines that connect renewable energy sources to the grid. We need it for storage batteries and a host of other innovative new technologies. We also need the rare earth critical minerals that are byproducts of copper.
Right now, there’s a copper crunch. In fact, The World Bank estimates that global copper demand could grow 200% over the next 30 years, making the need for a homegrown supply even greater. Currently, there are only two smelters in the U.S. capable of producing copper now — one in Utah and one in Arizona.
The Resolution Copper mine near Superior, Ariz., is a vital part of securing America’s leadership in the global clean energy economy. Using an innovative block-cave mining method to access a deposit from more than one mile underground, the mine has the potential to supply up to 25% of the nation’s copper demand as we transition to clean energy.
This mine will create good-paying jobs for Arizonans, many of whom have tribal affiliations and/or are armed services veterans.
According to Resolution Copper, the company will employ nearly 5,000 tradespersons during its construction and ramp-up phases. Once completed, the mine could be in operation for 60 years, and the company estimates it will pay an estimated $134 million in wages and benefits each year to 1,500 full-time employees.
The vast majority of these positions will be filled by union members who have the highly specialized training and experience that prioritizes safety, efficiency, and quality craftsmanship. Many of these members have tribal affiliations and/or are veterans of the armed services.
What’s more, union apprenticeship programs will train future generations of Arizona workers who will operate the mine. Their skills and expertise will be essential to the successful operation of the mine.
In addition, the mine will contribute to 2,200 indirect jobs in the surrounding communities, benefiting the families of many workers and tribes in the area.
The investments this massive project will bring could transform the lives of two generations of Arizona workers and their families, providing hope and prosperity to an economically depressed part of our state. Boosting the tax base supports schools, grows the local economy and lifts the middle class at the same time.
This is precisely the type of longterm investment in our economic future that Arizona so urgently needs. The project has been developed in consultation with hundreds of local community stakeholders, including tribal members, local business leaders and trade unions during the seven-year federal planning and permitting process.
Unfortunately, recent proposed federal legislation threatens to stall the Resolution Copper project, slows our ability to address the copper crunch and hampers Arizona’s economic growth.
The legislation introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Arizona, aims to overturn a law passed in 2015 authorizing the negotiated land exchange.
This would effectively reverse the will of Congress and Arizona communities who have been invested in this project’s potential for more than a decade, and shut down the project.
Passing this legislation would be a huge step backward in our country’s efforts to implement progressive energy policies and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
We need copper for a sustainable future. Arizona workers and their families need quality jobs for a prosperous future. We can have both with the Resolution Copper Mine project.