The Pinto Valley Copper Mine in Arizona. Photo: Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Legislation to add copper to Interior's "critical minerals" list could soon be on the lame duck to-do list.
Why it matters: The wonky designation could mean copper projects — which supply the EVs, batteries and charging stations that are crucial for the energy transition — receive more federal money and faster environmental permitting.
Driving the news: Lead sponsor Rep. Juan Ciscomani says he's "optimistic" he'll get a floor vote soon on the legislation after the House finishes moving its spending bills.
- It advanced through House Natural Resources in a largely partisan vote this month.
- "I would love to see it [on the floor] in July. That would be my goal," Ciscomani told Axios this morning on the sidelines of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event on minerals policy.
- He's not sure that'll happen, but hopes to get it on a legislative vehicle: "You gotta get creative with this kind of Congress."
Zoom in: DOE has copper on its "critical materials" list, potentially opening copper processing up for 48C tax credits under the IRA.
- But USGS left it off its separate "critical minerals" list, developed as a result of the 2020 Energy Act (these are legally distinct designations).
- Ciscomani's bill would require USGS to include everything on DOE's list in its designation — namely copper, electrical steel, silicon and silicon carbide.
- This could make copper mining and processing projects a priority for IRA incentives and other federal dollars.
The other side: Some Democrats say the lists shouldn't be interchangeable, since the USGS focuses on supply vulnerabilities.
- USGS is due to update its list next year, but has previously rejected calls to add copper.
- During a recent hearing on the bill, USGS official Colin Williams said that's because the U.S. has a "relatively robust domestic copper industry." He said the agency wants to "ensure that the legislation protects the scientific basis of the two component lists."
- Rep. Jared Huffman, meanwhile, said during the hearing that "any change to the definition can have cascading effects on our economy, on our environment and on natural resources," given the massive amounts of IRA and IIJA money on the table.
What's next: Ciscomani said he'll soon start looking for a Senate sponsor for companion legislation. Notably, a bipartisan group of senators penned a letter last year urging USGS to add copper to its list.
