Energy Shift
How Mine Permitting Delays Impact the Transition to a Green Economy
The following content is sponsored by Northern Dynasty
Mine Permitting Delays and the Transition to a Green Economy
Minerals are essential components in many of our daily-use products, such as cell phones, laptops, and cars.
In fact, every American uses nearly 40,000 pounds of newly mined materials each year.
In the United States, however, the current permitting process makes it difficult for businesses to invest in the extraction and processing of minerals, such as copper.
This graphic by Northern Dynasty explores the untapped potential of mineral resources in America.
Copper, a Critical Material
In 2023 the U.S. Department of Energy officially added copper to its critical materials list, following the examples of the European Union, Japan, India, Canada, and China.
Copper is a highly efficient conductor of electricity and is considered vital for clean energy technologies such as solar, wind energy, and electric vehicles.
Green energy-related copper demand is expected to increase by nearly 600% by 2030. In this scenario, the copper market could see an annual deficit of up to about 1.5 million tonnes by 2035.
Despite having more than 53 million tons of copper reserves, the U.S. imports 45% of its copper from other countries.
This is the highest level of import reliance in over 30 years. One of the biggest reasons for this is the country’s mine permitting process.
A Rigorous Mine Permitting Process
Mines are large-scale projects that demand extensive research and policies. As a result, mining projects can take 16 years, or more, to start production.
Currently, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management—which regulates land use in the country—has a permitting backlog of more than 280 mining projects.
In addition, environmental activists have adopted a “not in my backyard” stance towards domestic mining. As a result, companies have often had to resort to litigation to make any progress in the permitting process.
“Activists have weaponized the government bodies that are essential to the safe and responsible development of domestic mines,” says Michael Westerlund, VP Investor Relations at Northern Dynasty Minerals.
The company owns the largest undeveloped copper deposit in the world, named Pebble, in Alaska. Pebble and other five major copper projects totaling over 11 billion tonnes in copper resources have been delayed because of the Federal permitting process.
The Largest Undeveloped Copper Deposit in the World
The Pebble Project has been through a roller coaster of regulatory activity for the past 15 years.
Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned the depositing of mining waste near the mining project in Alaska, citing potential harm to the local sockeye salmon industry.
However, the veto directly contradicts findings from the Federal government that concluded that mining and fishing could coexist in the region.
“Alaska does resource development better than any other place on the planet, and our opportunities to show the world a better way to extract our resources should not be unfairly preempted by the Federal Government”
–Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy
Projects like Pebble can provide significant economic benefits and support the U.S. transition to a greener future. With the current regulatory uncertainty for U.S. developers, where the much-needed supply of copper will come from is unknown.
Click here to learn more about Pebble.
Energy Shift
Charted: Coal Still Dominates Global Electricity Generation
Fossil fuels account for nearly 60% of power generation.
Charted: Coal Still Dominates Global Electricity Generation
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- Fossil fuels made up nearly 60% of 2024 electricity generation.
- Coal accounts for 35% of total power generation.
Fossil Fuels Still Power Most of the World
Global energy demand grew faster than average in 2024, driven by rising electricity use across sectors. The power sector led the surge, with demand growing nearly twice as fast as overall energy use—fueled by increased cooling needs, industrial activity, transport electrification, and the expansion of data centers and AI.
Despite a growing push toward cleaner energy sources, coal remains the leading source of electricity generation worldwide. In 2024, fossil fuels accounted for nearly 60% of global power generation, with coal alone contributing 35%, according to the International Energy Agency.
While renewable energy continues to expand, making up about one-third of total electricity production, the global energy mix still leans heavily on traditional sources.
| Country | Coal | Natural Gas | Oil | Renewables | Nuclear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇳 India | 73.4% | 3.3% | 0.2% | 20.5% | 2.6% |
| 🇨🇳 China | 58.4% | 3.2% | 0.1% | 33.9% | 4.4% |
| 🇺🇸 U.S. | 15.6% | 42.6% | 0.7% | 23.3% | 17.9% |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 10.7% | 15.6% | 1.5% | 48.7% | 23.6% |
| 🌍 Global | 34.5% | 21.8% | 2.4% | 32.1% | 9.1% |
In emerging markets and developing economies, coal continues to be the backbone of power systems. China, the world’s largest energy consumer, generated nearly 60% of its electricity from coal. In India, coal’s dominance is even more pronounced, providing close to three-quarters of all electricity produced.
In contrast, advanced economies are increasingly relying on cleaner sources. In 2024, the European Union made significant strides in renewable energy adoption—nearly half of its electricity came from renewables, far exceeding the global average.
In the United States, natural gas led the power mix, accounting for over 40% of electricity generation in 2024. President Trump’s pro-coal policies and the surge in energy demand from AI innovation are expected to boost coal production in the U.S. over the next few years.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic that shows how 36 companies are responsible for half of the fossil fuel and cement CO2 emissions.
Energy Shift
How the Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Have Changed (2022 vs. 2025)
Despite sanctions against Moscow, the EU remains a key consumer of Russian fossil fuels.
How the Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Have Changed (2022 vs. 2025)
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Since the war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, Russia has earned $915 billion from fossil fuel exports, with EU countries accounting for over $223 billion.
Despite sanctions against Moscow, the EU remains a key consumer of Russian fossil fuels.
This graphic highlights the largest importers of Russian fossil fuels, based on the daily flow of oil and gas, using data from the CREA Fossil Fuel Tracker as of March 2025.
China Becomes the Biggest Buyer
In June 2022, China overtook the EU as the largest importer of Russian fossil fuels. Today, China imports nearly six times more than the EU. India and Turkey have also emerged as major buyers.
| Country | 2022-01-14 (tonnes) | 2025-03-13 (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 435,025 | 607,288 |
| 🇪🇺 EU | 928,998 | 104,646 |
| 🌍 Others | 244,945 | 275,747 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 28,907 | 344,848 |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 138,860 | 239,662 |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 93,267 | 30,255 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 33,468 | 0 |
| 🇬🇧 UK | 49,062 | 0 |
Meanwhile, imports from the U.S. and UK, which were relatively small before the invasion, have dropped to zero.
EU Reliance on Russian Fuel
A report released by Ember estimates that European purchases of Russian gas amounted to €21.9 billion ($23.6 billion) in 2024.
Additionally, data collected by Kpler and analyzed by POLITICO Europe revealed that in the first 15 days of 2025, the 27 EU countries imported a record-high 837,300 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia. This has raised concerns that billions of dollars could be fueling Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Russia’s Position in Global Oil Production
Russia remains one of the world’s top oil producers, frequently competing with Saudi Arabia for the second spot behind the United States.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s oil industry was privatized, but in 2021, the state forced a consolidation and restructuring of the sector. Today, Gazprom, Rosneft, and Lukoil are Russia’s leading oil and gas producers.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic that shows Ukraine’s mineral resources.
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