Building Domestic Supply Chain for Critical Minerals: Biden-Harris Administration Allocates $30 Million

author: FutureCar Staff    

Funding from President Biden's Investing in America Agenda will have multiple positive impacts on the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $30 million in funding to lower the costs of onshore production of rare earths and other critical minerals and materials from domestic coal-based resources. This funding, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to meet the growing demand for critical minerals in the country and reduce reliance on offshore supplies.

Rare earths and other critical minerals play a crucial role in U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells. By extracting these materials from coal, coal waste, and associated by-products, the initiative also creates well-paying jobs in communities that have historically relied on fossil energy resources. This aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to revitalizing energy communities and ensuring equitable access to benefits through the Justice40 Initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm highlighted the importance of President Biden's agenda in rebuilding America's manufacturing sector and enhancing the country's ability to produce critical minerals for clean energy technologies. The transformative investments not only reduce reliance on foreign supply chains but also generate high-quality jobs in communities that have been instrumental in powering the nation for generations.

The United States currently imports over 80% of its rare earth demand from non-domestic suppliers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Mineral Information Center. However, rare earth elements are naturally occurring in domestic coal and coal wastes. To tap into this unconventional resource and build a domestic supply chain critical to the economy, clean energy, and national security, the funding opportunity announcement seeks to support research for laboratory and bench-scale testing of economically viable and environmentally benign extraction, separation, and refining technologies. The focus will initially be on unconventional coal-based resources and the production of rare earths and critical minerals for clean energy, national defense, and commercial commodity products and equipment.

This initiative aligns with President Biden's historic climate agenda and his commitment to job creation, national security, and revitalizing energy communities. By investing in the production of critical minerals domestically, the United States can strengthen its clean energy economy, reduce reliance on foreign sources, and create sustainable and well-paying jobs.

Source: Company Press Release

FutureCar Staff