American copper company Gunnison Copper hosted Interior Secretary Doug Burgum at its Johnson Camp Mine in Cochise County on Tuesday.
Burgum’s visit highlighted the company’s current copper production and strengthening of its domestic supply chains for defense and technology.
The Trump Administration has aggressively pushed to expand domestic copper production and supply chains.
“This administration understands that energy security is national security, and there’s no national security without mineral security,” Burgum said.
Copper was added to the U.S. Geological Survey’s critical minerals list in November last year.
According to USGS estimates, the U.S. relies on copper imports for roughly 45% of its annual copper consumption.
By 2030, the U-S could require 1 million metric tons of copper for data center build out, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Gunnison also announced that it would be awarding all employees a stake in the company, pay raises and a bonus program, ahead of its anticipated debut on the American listing of the New York Stock Exchange.
During a plaza dedication ceremony, Craig Hallworth, president and CEO of the company said it would be expanding its operations.
“It’s going to be 10 times bigger than our Johnson Camp that we’re producing today and that’s going to be nationally significant,” Hallworth said.
Hallworth said the company is aiming to produce 10-15% of the country’s copper which will go towards munitions and data centers.
“We’re going to maintain our defense and our superintelligence superiority,” Hallworth said.
In September, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order replacing the term "artificial intelligence,” or AI, with “super intelligence.”
