Pebble's Copper Crusade: Can Legal Victory Revive Giant Alaska Project?

The Pebble Limited Partnership made its case at Mining Forum Americas 2026 for why their project is crucial to meeting global copper demand. With forecasts predicting a 10 million ton copper deficit by the mid-2030s, the company argues that large-scale projects like Pebble are necessary.

According to Mike Westerlund, Head of Investor Relations, 'You can't create electricity without copper. You can't transport it efficiently without copper, and you need copper in the end-use applications as well.' He emphasized that the world needs more copper at a time when production is decreasing.

The Pebble Project itself boasts significant resources: 53 billion pounds of measured and indicated copper, with an additional 23 billion pounds of inferred copper. The project also holds major gold, molybdenum, and rhenium resources. With over $400 million spent on environmental and engineering studies, the company believes a favorable federal court ruling could reopen the path to permitting and development.