The World Will Need More Copper in the Next 30 Years Than It Has Consumed in All of Human History. Ex Pentagon Advisor Says One American Company Controls the Deposit That Could Change Everything.
Former CIA Advisor Jim Rickards Has Released a New Free Presentation Examining S&P Global’s Copper Supply Crisis Forecast — and the Role America’s Largest Undeveloped Copper Deposit Could Play in Addressing It
Baltimore, MD, April 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In January 2026, S&P Global published a comprehensive study titled “Copper in the Age of AI: The Challenges of Electrification.” Its central finding: global copper demand is projected to rise 50% by 2040 — from 28 million metric tons today to 42 million metric tons — while supply is on course to fall 10 million metric tons short of that demand without significant new investment. S&P Global called the resulting gap a “systemic risk for global industries, technological advancement and economic growth.”
Former CIA advisor and macro economist Jim Rickards has released a new video presentation examining the implications of the S&P Global study — and specifically, what it means for one American resource project that sits directly at the intersection of the supply problem the study describes.
What the S&P Global Study Found
The S&P Global study identified four demand vectors driving copper consumption higher through 2040: core economic demand, the energy transition (electric vehicles, renewables, grid expansion), AI and data centers, and defense modernization. Demand from AI data centers and defense spending alone is expected to roughly triple by 2040, representing a combined 4 million metric tons of additional annual demand.
On the supply side, the study projected that global copper production will peak in 2030 at approximately 33 million metric tons before declining. The average new copper mine, S&P Global noted, takes approximately 17 years to move from discovery to production — meaning the supply response to today’s demand signals would not arrive until the early 2040s under the most optimistic assumptions.
America’s Documented Answer
A significant Alaskan deposit is what Rickards’ presentation identifies as the most relevant American resource in this context. According to its official resource filings, the deposit’s measured and indicated resources include 57 billion pounds of copper — along with 71 million ounces of gold — making it one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits.
The Trump administration has taken documented steps to address the regulatory environment surrounding projects like this one. Executive Order 14241 designated copper as a critical mineral, expected under current administration policy to accelerate permitting timelines for major copper deposits. Executive Order 14153, signed January 20, 2025, directed federal agencies to expedite natural resource development across Alaska.
The National Security Dimension
Rickards’ analysis also examines the national security framing the Trump administration has applied to critical mineral development — specifically, the argument that domestic copper production at scale reduces strategic dependence on foreign supply chains for materials that S&P Global has described as essential to AI infrastructure, clean energy, and defense systems.
What the Presentation Covers
- S&P Global’s January 2026 copper demand and supply projections — the 50% demand increase and 10-million-metric-ton projected shortfall
- Why the 17-year average mine development timeline makes the supply response to current demand signals structurally constrained
- The deposit’s documented resource estimates and its designation context under Executive Order 14241
- The national security and economic independence arguments the Trump administration has advanced for domestic critical mineral development
About the Presentation
The full video presentation is available for on-demand viewing at no cost. To access the complete session, click here.
About Jim Rickards and Paradigm Press
Jim Rickards is an economist, lawyer, and bestselling author whose career has spanned five decades at the intersection of Wall Street, Washington, and international finance. He has advised senior officials at the Pentagon and CIA on financial threats to national security and worked directly with the Federal Reserve during the resolution of the 1998 Long-Term Capital Management crisis. His research is published by Paradigm Press, a financial publishing firm.
CONTACT: Derek Warren Public Relations Manager Paradigm Press Group Email: [email protected]
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