Copper's Critical Role in U.S. Infrastructure: Building America's Future

As the U.S. embarks on a much-needed infrastructure overhaul, copper plays an integral role in the nation’s ability to modernize and strengthen various sectors. Copper’s unique combination of conductivity, durability, and recyclability makes it indispensable for the transition to renewable energy, improvements in telecommunications, water systems, and construction. Luckily, the United States has more than enough copper to meet future demand projections.  However, a comprehensive approach—combining production, recycling, and imports—is essential to ensure supply can keep pace with infrastructure goals.

Copper: The Backbone of U.S. Infrastructure

Copper is essential to nearly every sector of U.S. infrastructure. Its superior conductivity, durability, and recyclability make it indispensable for a variety of applications, including:

1. Power and Electrical Grids: Copper’s high electrical conductivity makes it the standard for power generation, transmission, and distribution. With the electrification of industries, copper is essential for connecting these systems to the grid.
2. Data Centers: Copper wiring, cables, and bus bars form the backbone of the power distribution networks in data centers, while copper piping systems and cold plates play an essential role in cooling increasingly powerful microchips that are driving digitalization and artificial intelligence.
3. Water Systems: Beyond lead service lines, copper is used extensively in plumbing systems for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Copper pipes offer corrosion resistance, longevity, and safety, ensuring clean water distribution across the country.
4. Renewable Energy: As the U.S. shifts towards clean energy, copper’s role in wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles is growing. Copper’s ability to conduct heat and electricity efficiently makes it ideal for renewable energy systems.
5. Construction: Copper is also a key material in construction, used in roofing, cladding, and HVAC systems. Its durability and low maintenance costs make it an attractive option for modern infrastructure projects.

Lead Service Line Replacement: A Prime Example
One of the most high-profile examples of copper’s critical role in infrastructure is the replacement of lead service lines (LSLs). Across the U.S., over 12 million lead and galvanized pipes remain in use, posing severe health risks, particularly to children and pregnant women. As these pipes are disturbed, they release lead into drinking water, leading to developmental delays, neurological issues, and other significant health problems.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that replacing all LSLs in the country will cost between $25 and $55 billion. Copper presents an ideal solution, as its natural corrosion resistance, long lifespan, and recyclability make it the preferred material for LSL replacement. Copper also conducts heat exceptionally well, which benefits water systems by maintaining steady water temperatures, reducing energy consumption, and improving overall system efficiency. This efficiency helps lower energy costs while keeping water quality high.

With more than 150,000 tons of copper required to replace all U.S. lead pipes, the industry has sufficient resources to meet this demand, but the challenge lies in scaling production and ensuring sustainable supply chains.

To address this challenge, U.S. copper manufacturers are ramping up production by modernizing facilities and increasing operational capacity. By leveraging advanced technology and automation, the industry is optimizing output and reducing supply delays. These efforts are further supported by federal initiatives, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocates $15 billion for LSL replacement and prioritizes the use of American-made materials like copper, strengthening domestic manufacturing and creating jobs in the process.

With abundant resources and a well-established recycling infrastructure, the copper industry is fully prepared to meet the current and future needs of U.S. infrastructure projects, ensuring that public water systems are safe, sustainable, and resilient for generations to come. Replacing all 12 million lead and galvanized requiring replacement service lines in the U.S. will require over 500 million feet of copper tubing, which amounts to roughly 150,000 tons of copper —just a small portion of the U.S.’s vast reserves.

The Scale of the Challenge and U.S. Copper Reserves

With an estimated 275 million metric tons (MMt) of copper reserves and resources, the U.S. is well-positioned to meet future copper demand. However, tapping into these reserves is not without its challenges. The development of new mines takes an average of 29 years due to regulatory and permitting delays. This lag in production has prompted concerns about meeting future demand, particularly as copper usage is projected to grow by 50% by 2030 due to the increased electrification of the economy.

Despite these hurdles, U.S. copper production remains strong. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. produced 1.2 million metric tons of copper in 2022, positioning the country as the world’s fourth-largest producer. However, to maintain this position and ensure long-term supply, the U.S. must address the bottlenecks in mining and refining.

An All-of-the-Above Strategy: Production, Recycling, and Imports
While the U.S. has ample copper reserves, no single approach can meet the country’s copper needs on its own. That’s why an all-of-the-above strategy—combining increased domestic production and refining, expanded recycling, and continued imports from reliable trade partners—is essential.

1. Increase Domestic Production and Refining:
   Although the U.S. has the copper resources to meet future demand, production needs to increase significantly. The number of domestic refineries has decreased from nine in 2000 to just five in 2023, reducing refined copper output by 40%. Without boosting refining capacity, much of the copper mined in the U.S. will continue to be sent abroad for processing. In 2023, 341,000 metric tons of copper content were exported for refining, further delaying domestic supply.
2. Expand Recycling Efforts:
   Recycling is a crucial part of meeting demand, as it can significantly reduce the need for newly mined copper. Over 32% of U.S. copper demand is supplied from recycling, demonstrating the potential of domestic recycling programs. However, the U.S. currently exports over half of its copper-containing scrap, indicating a significant opportunity for domestic recycling and value-added processing. More problematic, much of the copper in use today has not reached the end of its useful life, limiting the amount available to be recycled.  To enhance copper supply and reduce reliance on imports, the U.S. needs to not only increase recycling efforts but also retain more of the recycled copper within the domestic market.
3. Continue Imports from Reliable Partners:
   Imports will continue to play a key role in the U.S. copper supply chain. Currently, 95% of the nation’s refined copper comes from a combination of imports and domestic production, with Chile, Canada, Peru, and Mexico providing 98% of imported copper. Although these countries have been reliable suppliers, their production is projected to increase by only 6% by 2035 and China is a bigger customer than the US. Maintaining strong trade relationships and diversifying import sources will be essential to meet demand in the coming decades.

By integrating all three strategies—boosting domestic production and refining, scaling up recycling, and continuing imports from reliable trade partners—the U.S. can secure the copper supply necessary to meet future infrastructure needs and beyond.

Government Investment and the Road Ahead
The U.S. government has committed billions to infrastructure, including investments in copper-intensive sectors like power grids, water systems, and clean energy projects. For instance, copper is central to achieving the Biden administration’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035, as renewable energy systems rely heavily on copper. Furthermore, the shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to significantly increase copper demand. An average EV uses about 183 pounds of copper, and with the U.S. aiming to electrify its vehicle fleet, copper’s role will only expand.