MINEXCHANGE 2026: Resilient energy to take center stage

The mining industry is under immense pressure to not only meet increasing demand for minerals, but to do so in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner. Growth in electric vehicles, battery storage, renewable energy infrastructure and data centers to power artificial intelligence (AI) has led to an unprecedented demand for minerals such as copper, lithium, rare earth elements and others. The need for these minerals for national defense has only increased the pressure on the mining industry. Increased geopolitical tensions between the United States, China and Russia has added a sense of urgency as supply chains have become a focal point for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Defense (DOD) and other government agencies. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that copper demand is expected to grow by 50 percent by 2040 while demand for lithium could increase eight-fold by 2040 and demand for nickel and cobalt could double. The challenges to meet the increased demand include technological, workforce, exploration and environmental issues. From Feb. 22-26, the global mining industry will converge on Salt Lake City, UT for the MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference & Expo where these challenges and others will be addressed by some of the leading minds in the industry. Included in this year’s conference is the Resilient Energy in Mining Symposium, a symposium with input from across SME that looks to address some of the most significant challenges the industry is facing.“Adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) best practices has become a necessity for the mining industry, not an option. The Resilient Energy in Mining Symposium is crucial for MINEXCHANGE 2026 because it addresses the complex challenges of transforming traditional mining operations to support a sustainable and secure energy future,” Lisa Gonzales, principal engineering at Arcadias and MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference Chair and chair of the Resilient Energy in Mining Symposium said. “Mining is inherently energy-intensive, yet it is also foundational to the global energy transition, supplying the critical minerals needed for renewable technologies. By bringing together industry leaders, the symposium fosters collaboration and actionable change, showcasing advancements and real-world solutions that demonstrate the tangible benefits of resilient energy strategies. This unique forum enables knowledge sharing, inspires innovative thinking, and helps set the standard for sustainable practices across the sector.” The symposium was created in direct response to a SME member survey in 2023 conducted by the Responsible Mining and Underground Construction (RMUC) Strategic Committee. “The survey highlighted a strong demand for technical resources on energy transition, carbon reduction, renewable power, climate change, and ESG reporting,” Gonzales said. “To address this, I collaborated with RMUC to engage committee members from all SME Divisions, ensuring a diverse and comprehensive platform that reflects every aspect of mining. We intentionally structured the symposium to centralize key content and minimize duplication across divisions.” Focus on critical minerals Driven primarily by national security concerns, the U.S. government has dramatically increased its interest and investment in the domestic mining industry with the aim of creating a secure supply chain of critical minerals. Some of this investment now includes direct financial backing of domestic mining, processing and refining projects. At the center of this push is the U.S. DOE, which has committed roughly $1 billion across a suite of grant programs targeting critical projects. DOE funding emphasizes not only new mining but also processing, separation, recycling and so-called “Mine of the Future” technologies. These programs support pilot-scale facilities, regional consortia, and national-lab research designed to move domestic projects from concept to commercial readiness. A notable focus has been extracting critical minerals from unconventional and secondary sources such as mine waste, coal byproducts, and recycled materials, a reflection of both environmental constraints and the long permitting timelines for new mines. The DOD has taken an even more direct role, leveraging the Defense Production Act’s Title III authority to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in projects deemed essential to military readiness. DOD funding has targeted some of the most acute supply chain vulnerabilities: rare earth separation and magnet materials, lithium production, graphite anodes and antimony. “With the intense focus on critical minerals, mining companies are shifting portfolios and exploration budgets toward these minerals, which contributes to key content available for presentation in this year’s program,” said Gonzales. “Furthermore, mining companies are utilizing technological advances in extraction techniques and digital tools to explore recovery of critical minerals from reprocessing. The critical mineral demand in conjunction with the drive for sustainability initiatives have definitely influenced this year’s program.” The MINEXCHANGE conference includes three days of technical programming with sessions covering every aspect of the mining industry. Gonzales is proud of the program that was developed by the program committee. “The program committee prioritizes quality over quantity in developing the technical program,” said Gonzales. “This year, we focused on several key areas: the adoption of emerging technologies, the ongoing digital transformation of mining operations, decarbonization strategies, ESG best practices and the surging demand for critical minerals. We also recognize the importance of addressing workforce challenges — such as skills development and demographic shifts — as well as health and safety concerns. These topics ensure that the conference remains at the forefront of industry trends and provides practical value to attendees.” Expo Hall Technology plays an integral role in the mining industry’s efforts to meet demand and some of the latest and greatest technology will be on display in the Expo Hall of the Salt Palace Convention Center where 594 companies will be on hand. The Expo Hall opens on Sunday, Feb. 22 with an opening reception from 4 to 6 pm and will be open Monday and Tuesday from 11 am – 5:30 pm and Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm. Exhibitors include industry leaders in the adoption of cutting-edge technology like automation such as Hexagon, Emerson, Komatsu, Draslovka, Fleet Space technologies and others. A full list of exhibitors as well as a exhibit hall map can be found in the MINEXCHANGE Preshow Guide included in this issue of Mining Engineering. SME Foundation On Sunday, Feb. 22, 500 attendees will gather at the SME Foundation Annual Gala Dinner for an evening of cocktails, silent auction, dinner, live entertainment and awards program. The theme this year is “Play with Purpose.” The SME Foundation was established 1991 as a Colorado-based nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization with a mission to attract and leverage resources for a sustainable mining industry through education and outreach. The SME Foundation fulfills its mission by supporting projects that disseminate mining/mineral information and technology worldwide; encourage professional development; educate children, teachers, and the public about the significant role that the minerals industry plays in their everyday lives; build consensus for a strong, environmentally sound minerals industry in the United States and the world; and support of college-level students and programs meeting industry demands for engineers and researchers in the future. The SME Foundation functions to help raise funds for outreach programs for K-12 science classroom education, scholarships for students to study various mining engineering and geology fields and programs to inform the public about the importance of mining in everyday lives. The SME Foundation Annual Gala Dinner is an important fundraising event for the Foundation and annually sells out. Short Courses MINEXCHANGE includes education short courses that provide professional development that is part of a the path to a successful career. These courses are offered in conjunction with MINEXCHANGE. The one-, two- and three-day courses are available at the Salt Palace Convention Center and include a wide range of topics (Table 1) All courses include: Course materials, PDH credit, Coffee breaks and lunch. Additional registration is required. More information about each course can be found at https://smeannualconference.org/short-courses/ Division Events SME’s Divisions are the motor that powers the MINEXCHANGE Conference. Each Division provides unique programming (https://smeannualconference.org/technical-program/) while also contributing networking events, Table 2. More information about various events presented by SME Divisions can be found online at https://smeannualconference.org/division-functions/). Field trips Some of the most popular events at MINEXCHANGE include field trips and this year there are a number of exciting opportunities for attendees to get their boots on the ground and see some exciting facilities in the Salt Lake City area. Trips include: Core and Data Collection Processes: Thursday, Feb/ 26, 2026 - 7:00 am – 4:30 pm. Bingham Canyon and Kennecott. The Bingham Canyon Mine, one of the world’s largest openpit copper mines. This tour offers a unique opportunity to explore the complex geology of a porphyry copper system. This field trip aims to provide participants with an overview of Bingham Canyon geology and an in-depth overview of data collection from core logging processes at Kennecott Copper Mine, focusing on the examination of drill cores from both open-pit and underground mining operations. Participants will learn about the geological characteristics, mineral content, and the processes involved in geological data collection from drill cores and the field. This is a unique opportunity to visit the core facility supporting the Kennecott operations. Kennecott Value Stream Tour: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 - Various Times Available: A chance to visit the complete Kennecott value stream with a visit to the historic Bingham Canyon Openpit Mine, one of the largest openpits in the world and in operation since 1906. This is followed by a tour of the Kennecott Concentrator to see the grinding floor and flotation circuit. Capped by a walking tour of the Garfield Refinery in operation since 1950 producing 250 kt of copper per year. Kennecott Tailings Facility: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 - 7:30 am – 11:30 am. A unique opportunity to visit the 9,000 acre tailings facilities supporting the Kennecott operations. Located near Magna, UT and the Rio Tinto Smelting and Refining facilities, this facility receives 45 Mt of tailings per year. Visit the facility and meet the staff and discover more about the intricacies of safely managing a large facility while remaining a strong partner with local communities. GSL Lithium Extraction: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 - 8:00 am – 2:00 pm. See innovation in action during this field to the operations of a Pilot Lithium extraction process for the Great Salt Lake Waters. See the setup of a Pilot system and the actual means of extraction lithium from brine waters. While proprietary views into the actual technology will be protected, participants will see a view of each of the process containers from the pumping, filters, treatment and discharge of the pilot program. Young Leaders Habitat for Humanity Home Build -Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026 | 8:30 am – 3:30 pm: In partnership with Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake, participants will spend six hours volunteering on a home-building site, learning new skills or putting their existing knowledge to work. While on the build site, volunteers must take and follow instructions, figure things out, cooperate, collaborate, and overcome challenges. Working together, volunteers will improve on teambuilding and communication skills while making a valuable contribution to the Greater Salt Lake City community. Fees collected for this trip will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Greater Salt Lake.

MINEXCHANGE 2026: Resilient energy to take center stage

Authored by: William Gleason

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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