Episode 8 of 11
Arizona: The Copper State
Morenci, ArizonaCopper
Copper to EVs with Morenci and Lucid: the clearest mine-to-product line in the most copper-rich state in the country.
The History
Arizona’s schoolbook economy ran on five C’s: cattle, cotton, citrus, climate, and copper, and copper towered over the rest. When electrification took off, the state’s enormous porphyry deposits made it the backbone of American copper, and today Arizona produces about 70 percent of the US supply. Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci complex has been working more or less continuously since the 1870s and is the largest copper producer in North America, while down the road in Casa Grande, Lucid Motors builds copper-hungry electric vehicles.
The Dream Tour List for This Leg
The stops and companies we want on camera as the convoy works this ground. Proposed, not confirmed bookings, and growing as the dream tour list fills in.
Freeport-McMoRan · Morenci
North America’s largest copper producer: pits, mills, and leach pads at full scale.
Resolution Copper (Rio Tinto · BHP)
One of the world’s largest undeveloped copper deposits, and its permitting saga.
Lucid Motors · Casa Grande
The demand side next door: an EV plant in the most copper-rich state.
Want your operation on this leg of the route?
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