A strong electricity grid employs an all-of-the-above energy policy, which includes coal, nuclear and renewable sources of power, like wind. Major inputs to wind turbines are minerals and metals, such as copper. Wind turbine coil windings of the stator and generator, high-voltage power cable conductors, and transformer coils all require copper, so a growth in wind power generation will require an influx of copper.
Twin Metals Minnesota is a proposed copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum group metals mine which would target minerals within the Maturi deposit of the Duluth Complex geologic formation. This complex holds 34 percent of U.S. copper reserves (as well as 95 percent of its nickel reserves, 88 percent of cobalt and 75 percent of the platinum group metals), and the U.S. will need these resources moving forward. In order to reach our growing copper demand, we will have to mine as much copper over the next 25 years as we mined in the past 5,000 years. Twin Metals is an important piece of the future of wind technology, so it benefits all Americans to support this mine.