The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that copper is closing in on the $12,000-(U.S.)-a-tonne mark as expectations of soaring demand from data centres that power artificial intelligence and tight supplies collide with shortages outside the United States. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says copper wiring is valued for its exceptional electrical conductivity and is vital in power grids that feed data centres, electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed for the energy transition. Copper prices are up 35 per cent so far this year and heading for their largest gain since 2009, due to mining disruptions and stockpiling in the U.S. Sprott Asset Management launched the world's first physically backed exchange-traded copper fund in mid-2024. The fund, which holds nearly 10,000 tonnes of physical copper, has shot up by almost 46 per cent this year to nearly $14 a unit. A recent Reuters survey of analysts' forecasts shows the copper market will see a deficit of 124,000 tonnes this year and 150,000 tonnes next year. Copper demand growth is being driven by billions of dollars being invested worldwide to modernize and expand power grids. The green energy transition is also expected to boost copper demand.