June 12, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
McLean, VA—Today, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voted to pass HR 8446, the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024, legislation introduced by U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06). HR 8446 seeks to ensure consistency between Critical Minerals, as defined by the Department of Energy (DOE), and Critical Minerals, as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This is the first step in unifying the two lists and ensuring copper is recognized as an official USGS critical mineral.
“We are grateful for USGS noting their support for the legislation in testimony last week, and for bipartisan support for the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024 today,” said Adam Estelle, President & CEO of the Copper Development Association (CDA). “With copper demand projected to double by 2035, committee approval of this legislation is a tremendous step towards ensuring copper receives the critical recognition it deserves and requires, to protect and promote our domestic copper industry.”
DOE Critical Materials like copper, electrical steel, silicon, and silicon carbide are at a disadvantage by not being eligible for the more extensive benefits targeted to the USGS Critical Minerals list. The opposite is already true in the Energy Act of 2020 which conveys Critical Material benefits to Critical Minerals. The Critical Mineral Consistency Act will eliminate confusion between “MATERIALS” and “MINERALS” and convey the benefits of Critical Minerals to Critical Materials.
HR 8446 not only has CDA support, but several bipartisan energy, electrification, and mineral supply associations in Washington also favor the legislation. These include:
- Zero-Emission Transportation Association (ZETA)
- National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
- Business Council on Sustainable Energy (BCSE)
- Transformer Manufacturers Association of America (TMAA)
- National Mining Association (NMA)
“This critical legislation will improve interagency coordination, help to secure our domestic supply chain, and improve American energy and national security outcomes,” said Ciscomani at the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Legislative Hearing on H.R. 8446, H.R. 6395, and H.R. 8450 on June 4. “I truly believe this legislation is a commonsense solution that should have bipartisan support.”
The addition of copper to the USGS Critical Minerals list will provide new tax and funding benefits to spur domestic demand for copper. It will also allow for faster permitting to help develop new supply sources to meet already increasing demand. To learn more about why copper is a Critical Mineral, visit www.copperiscritical.org.
###
About Copper Development Association
The Copper Development Association is the not-for-profit trade association of the North American copper industry, chartered to bring the value of copper and its alloys to society through pre-competitive research, market development/promotion, and education, as well as technical and end-user support.
###