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Amazon sources Arizona copper for data center infrastructure expansion
Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Amazon is sourcing copper from a recently opened mine in Arizona to support the extensive power and cooling infrastructure requirements of its expanding data center network.
Context
Amazon has secured a two-year supply agreement with Rio Tinto to source copper from an Arizona mine, marking the first new domestic source of the metal in over a decade. The deal utilizes Rio Tinto’s Nuton bioleaching technology at the Johnson Camp facility to produce low-carbon copper essential for the massive infrastructure expansion of Amazon Web Services (AWS). This vertical supply chain move targets the critical materials needed for data center power components, wiring, and cooling systems as AI demand surges.
The agreement follows a year where Amazon’s total capital expenditures exceeded $100 billion, and it aligns with a planned $50 billion investment in U.S. government AI and supercomputing capacity starting in 2026. Although the project’s expected yield of 14,000 metric tons over four years satisfies only a small portion of Amazon’s total requirements, it underscores a growing trend of "resource sovereignty." Tech leaders are now prioritizing direct partnerships to ensure resource resilience and meet sustainability goals amidst record-high copper prices.
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