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

author: FutureCar Staff    

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced funding of up to $30 million to support President Biden's Investing in America agenda. The funding will be used to lower the costs of onshore production of rare earths and other critical minerals and materials from domestic coal-based resources. This initiative aims to meet the increasing demand for critical minerals in the United States while reducing reliance on offshore supplies. These minerals are essential for manufacturing clean energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells, aligning with President Biden's climate agenda.

Extracting these materials from coal, coal waste, and associated by-products will not only support the development of clean energy technologies but also create well-paying jobs in communities that have historically relied on fossil energy resources. This initiative is part of 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 emphasized the importance of President Biden's agenda in rebuilding America's manufacturing sector and enhancing domestic production of critical minerals. These transformative investments will reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and generate high-quality jobs in communities that have powered 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. The funding opportunity announced today aims to tap into this unconventional resource and establish a domestic supply chain critical to the U.S. economy, clean energy, and national security.

The program will fund research for laboratory and bench-scale testing of economically viable, environmentally friendly extraction, separation, and refining technologies. Starting with unconventional coal-based resources, the goal is to produce rare earths and critical minerals for use in clean energy, national defense, and commercial commodity products and equipment.

This funding announcement marks a significant step towards achieving President Biden's goals of job creation, strengthening national security, revitalizing energy communities, and building a clean energy economy.

FutureCar Staff