The World Needs a Lot More Copper. But Will There Be Enough Supply?

Copper is one of the world’s most ubiquitous metals, used in just about everything that’s electrified: smartphones, refrigerators, electric vehicles, power grids and much more.

It’s a crucial material for the green technologies that can lower global carbon emissions, as well as the data centers at the heart of the artificial intelligence boom. But while demand for copper is growing, it’s far from certain that there will be enough supply, amid a slew of production outages in recent months and difficulties in building new mines and expanding existing operations.