Insane Red Tape Risks US Supply Meltdown

Arizona’s Santa Cruz Copper Project could break America’s dangerous dependence on foreign copper, but it’s facing the same regulatory minefield that’s crippled U.S. industry for decades.

At a Glance

Ivanhoe Electric’s Santa Cruz Project is the first major new U.S. copper mine in over a decade and could supply 1.4 million tonnes of copper cathode over 23 years.
The U.S. faces a widening copper supply gap due to skyrocketing demand and years of bureaucratic gridlock on domestic mining.
Local Arizona communities stand to benefit from jobs and tax revenue, but environmental activists and red tape threaten to delay or derail the project.
Santa Cruz uses modern technology to produce pure copper on-site, reducing the need for overseas smelters and strengthening American supply chains.

Arizona’s Mining Revival: A Test for American Energy Security

America’s copper crisis is no joke—while politicians in Washington play games with our future, the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Casa Grande, Arizona, is ready to deliver real solutions. Ivanhoe Electric, led by mining legend Robert Friedland and CEO Taylor Melvin, has consolidated 6,000 acres of high-grade copper deposits just 40 miles south of Phoenix. This isn’t just another mining venture; it’s the first significant new U.S. copper project in more than a decade. The project represents a rare shot at reclaiming America’s self-reliance in copper, a metal that’s absolutely essential to everything from our power grid to national defense. Yet, as always, the left’s endless obsession with permitting delays and environmental red tape puts all of this at risk, threatening to leave us at the mercy of foreign suppliers once again.

America's growing copper crisis finds a promising solution in Arizona's backyard https://t.co/VzFtk3y7yx

— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) July 27, 2025

Ivanhoe Electric has already secured a critical General Plan Amendment from the City of Casa Grande, putting them on track to submit key permits in the first half of 2025. A preliminary feasibility study completed in June 2025 confirmed what anyone with common sense could see: the numbers work, and the mine will be a top-tier domestic producer. The project promises an after-tax net present value of $1.9 billion and a 24 percent internal rate of return—numbers that would make any serious investor take notice. Construction could start as soon as early 2026, with the first copper cathode rolling out by 2028. But unless regulators stay out of the way and let business do what business does best, none of this will matter. We’ve seen this movie before: vital American projects get strangled by overreach, leaving our economy and our security vulnerable.

The Stakes for American Industry and Arizona Communities

The Santa Cruz Project isn’t just about big numbers or Wall Street profits—it’s about jobs, prosperity, and American resilience. Local communities in Casa Grande and neighboring towns are poised to benefit from the economic boost: construction jobs, infrastructure investment, and a stream of tax revenue that supports schools, roads, and first responders. For too long, rural America has been left behind while coastal elites dictate the terms of development from their ivory towers. Here’s a project that delivers real, lasting benefits to hardworking Americans—but you can bet the usual suspects will whip up scare campaigns about water use and land disturbance, as if every modern mine is a throwback to the Wild West.

For the nation at large, Santa Cruz is a critical lifeline. The International Energy Agency says global copper demand will spike from 26 million tons in 2024 to nearly 40 million by 2050, thanks to the so-called “energy transition” and the explosion of tech manufacturing. Yet U.S. production has lagged for years, forcing us to import more and more copper from unreliable—or downright hostile—foreign countries. Every time the left blocks a project like Santa Cruz, they make America weaker and more dependent, jeopardizing everything from our energy infrastructure to our military readiness.

How Santa Cruz Could Reignite American Mining—and Why the Agenda-Driven Left Hates It

Ivanhoe Electric’s project sets a new standard for American mining. Using advanced underground methods and a 100 percent heap leach process, Santa Cruz will produce pure copper cathode on-site, eliminating the need for dirty overseas smelters and keeping the entire supply chain on American soil. That’s exactly the kind of innovation we need to restore American greatness and keep our economy humming. Yet despite all the facts, activist groups and bureaucrats are already circling, trying to invent new reasons to stall or kill the project. They talk endlessly about “community impacts” and “environmental justice,” but never seem to care about the impact on American jobs or the right of citizens to prosper in their own country.

Company leadership, including CEO Taylor Melvin, has made it clear: this project isn’t just good for Ivanhoe Electric, it’s good for the nation. Independent analysts agree—Santa Cruz could become one of the top five U.S. copper mines, with the kind of low costs and high-grade reserves we desperately need. Yet, all of this hangs by a thread as long as permitting remains a political football and common sense is treated as a four-letter word in Washington.

Will Regulators Finally Put America First?

The Santa Cruz Copper Project proves that American innovation and grit can overcome decades of decline. But the battle is far from over. Without decisive action to cut through the regulatory thicket and stand up to the anti-development crowd, all the promise of Santa Cruz could be squandered. This is a test for every politician and bureaucrat who claims to care about American jobs, energy security, and global competitiveness. Will they let Arizona lead the way and make America strong again—or will they bow to the same tired agenda that’s left our supply chains in shambles and our industry on life support?

The answer will tell us more about the future of this country than any speech or campaign ad ever could. It’s time to stop talking about “critical minerals” and start producing them—right here, right now, in the USA.