Why A Looming Copper Shortage Has Big Consequences For The Green Economy

Copper prices have surged in 2021. The base metal remains in high demand, much thanks to its need in green energy projects and electric cars. In May 2021, commodities analysts at Goldman Sachs called copper ‘the new oil.’ That’s because electric cars need several times more copper than their gas-powered counterparts. And power grids getting electricity from wind, solar and hydro sources also need copper—much more than the industry is currently producing. Here’s how copper became so important to the world economy and the green energy revolution.

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Why A Looming Copper Shortage Has Big Consequences For The Green Economy

[fakhruddinnalawala]

Silver is a better conductor than copper. The correct way to state it would have been "copper is the best affordable conductor we know."

[samallon]

Jeff Currie should check his periodic table. Silver is a better conductor than copper.

[CarthagoMike]

*Jeff Currie:* _"Copper is the single best conductor of electricity known to physics."_
*Silver:* _"You can deny my potential, but you cannot deny my value."_

[WDO]

If Goldman Sachs are predicting higher prices it means 1 thing. They own a lot of copper and would like to sell it to retail investors for a massive profit.

[ScrapPalletMan]

We street scrappers call it "Red Gold". I make a living filming my journey intercepting copper and other scrap metal destined for our landfills and sending it to the scrap metal recycler. We're hiring! The streets need more scrappers. ✌️🙂

[hizzlemobizzle]

Why does this feel more like an advertisement for copper rather than news coverage?

[Foreheadsnatcher]

I like how CNBC used their own news channels as references.

[darkesco]

Translation: "Run out and buy copper securities, the rich will be dumping it soon"

[jaynecobb]

"copper is the best conductor". I disagree. I would argue that Leonard Bernstein was the best conductor of all time.

[badlybent]

High voltage transmission lines are made of aluminum and steel, not copper.

[VJJBodhi]

Side note, Jeff Currie, ummm copper is not “the single best conductor, ” silver is. Copper is, however, cheaper.

[danielm]

"Copper Goes Green" - I see what you did there.

[baylinkdashyt]

Seems worth pointing out here that *most* of grid-scale electric distribution is aluminum, not copper.

[Mic_Glow]

"copper is the single best conductor known to physics as well as the periodic table"
First of all, if it's known to physics, obviously it's on the periodic table, no need to mention that.
And it's not the best conductor. Silver is. Nanotubes are even better (known to physics but can't be mass-produced yet) and stuff like superconductors has literally 0 resistance... not at room temperature, but arguably they are the "best conductor"

[oby-]

My nephew works in a copper mine and they just got a 35 year renewal of contract. Good job security for him.

[Tore_Lund]

Goldman Sachs: "Copper is the best conductor known in the periodic system". This is the reason he became a financial analyst, he didn't pay attention in science class. My EV has aluminium busbars copperplated where they connect to real copper! Guess the industry already knows it has to reduce its dependancy on copper, to protect themself against price hikes.

[brothermine]

The tight supply of copper reminds me of business attempts to provide "just in time" inventory, which is supposed to improve efficiency & profitability but, judging from the empty shelves I often see at grocery stores, doesn't work very well.

[mounteverest]

As a 30 year electrician. The green economy is a fugazi dream. A tesla takes 30kwh- 60kwh to charge in one night. In a average street are maybe 25 cars. The supply needs to be 750kwh - 1, 5Mw to charge. The grit is not capable of that the copper wires are too small. You need to upgrade the entire word powernet. In the 30's there where all electric cars. The people changed to fossil feuls because electric driving was unsustainable at that time in the industrial revolution. Its impossible to going back. And to end this writing its only possible if we reset the entire system of living. We need fossil feul for our system to work. And there are no hands to make this happen. Who is goeing to put all the bigger copper cables in the streets? The youth is busy with fortnite and tiktok and they want all a computer job. No hands anymore. To end in the words of Klaus we need a great reset. Included climate lockdows. Its impossible to change the word withouth a fight. For now dream on Greta and the green economy.

[mpwes]

Almost a month ago, it was looming rubber shortage, now copper. Won't be surprised if a video comes out, "how the earth became a hollow shell"

[curiousguy]

Once copper rises sky high the next big thing will be Silver. Start stocking em folks.