NEMA President and CEO Urges Action To Strengthen Domestic Copper Supply Chain During Congressional Testimony

WASHINGTON - Testifying as an expert witness yesterday before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources hearing Powering the 21st Century with American Copper, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) President and CEO Debra Phillips underscored how the rate and scale of U.S. grid expansion, reindustrialization, and artificial intelligence innovation and deployment depend on a secure, resilient, and affordable supply of critical minerals - chief among them, copper.

In her testimony, Phillips explained to lawmakers that copper is ubiquitous in the electrical equipment and systems that must be scaled rapidly to address the more than 55% increase in U.S. electric power demand that NEMA anticipates will materialize by 2050, and outlined measures policymakers can pursue to secure and increase the domestic supply of this uniquely workable, conductive, and corrosion-resistant metal.

"If copper supply is constrained, the impacts will be felt across the energy system. Project timelines can be delayed, infrastructure buildouts can slow, and the deployment of critical technologies can be deferred," said Phillips. "For manufacturers, that means challenges in producing the equipment to meet that power demand. For the broader economy, it means potential bottlenecks in the systems that support energy reliability, industrial growth, and technological leadership."

Among other measures, Phillips commended the U.S. Geological Survey's 2025 decision to add copper to the USGS's list of critical minerals, confirmed NEMA's support for Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Stauber's (R-MN) Critical Mineral Dominance Act, and reiterated NEMA's support for infrastructure permitting reform - including S.3947, the Reconductoring Existing Wires for Infrastructure Reliability and Expansion (REWIRE) Act, which would accelerate deployment of grid-enhancing technologies, and H.R., 4776, Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, which would streamline federal infrastructure permit reviews and approvals.

Phillips also noted that NEMA's more than 300 member companies have invested nearly $200 billion in domestic production capacity since 2018, and have reduced reliance on China by more than 30% during the same period. She urged policymakers to strengthen domestic copper supply chains through responsible production, processing, and recycling, paired with permitting reform, deployment of grid-enhancing technologies, and workforce development.

During the course of the hearing, Phillips and other expert witnesses conveyed that electricity demand growth, infrastructure constraints, and material availability are now inextricably linked. And they sought to underscore how policy decisions on permitting, trade, and workforce readiness will play a decisive role in determining how quickly the United States can build the energy system required to support economic competitiveness and national security.

A recording of Debra's opening statement can be accessed here.

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About NEMA

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents over 300 electrical equipment manufacturers that make safe, reliable, and efficient products and technologies that power, connect, and light our world. Together, our members contribute a full 1% of U.S. GDP and directly provide over 580,000 American jobs, adding more than $330 billion to the U.S. economy. Learn more at makeitelectric.org

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