Representative Greg Markkanen adds an earmark request to the 2026 state budget to support the Copperwood Mine development in Gogebic County.
Markkanen’s request would provide funding to Wakefield Township to support crucial infrastructure improvements for site readiness, including turning County Road 519 into an all-season road. The funds would also support power and telecommunication upgrades, improving energy reliability and broadband services in the region. The fund request has been supported by local leaders, including Wakefield Township, Invest UP, the Upper Peninsula Collaborative Development Council, and other Upper Peninsula representatives.
In 2024 the state Senate Appropriations Committee left the Copperwood 50,000,000 dollar investment request on the table after approving 247 million dollar investments in Dow Chemical Company, Detroit Diesel Corporation, and the University of Michigan. In February the project’s air quality permit was approved with conditions allowing the state to inspect the site at any time.
Highland Copper, a Canadian company based in Montreal, estimates the development could produce more than 3 billion dollars. Markkanen cites in his request the state’s investment represents about half of the funds still needed for the mine to start producing.
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