The global demand for critical minerals, required for the manufacturing and production of everything from electric vehicles to solar panels, has been surging, however the U.S. is in a risky position as it remains overly dependent on China for these materials. The U.S. is over 50 to 100 percent net import reliant for 43 of the 50 mineral commodities identified in the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2022 annual report.
Two recent bipartisan legislative efforts—the Unearth Innovation Act and the Critical Materials Future Act—seek to change that by strengthening America’s critical mineral supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign countries.
The Unearth Innovation Act, introduced by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), aims to accelerate the discovery and extraction of domestic critical minerals by establishing a Mining and Mineral Innovation Program dedicated to R&D and commercialization activities within the U.S. Department of Energy.
“CRES applauds Sens. Tillis (R-N.C.) and Hickenlooper’s (D-Colo.) bipartisan work to strengthen American leadership in critical minerals, as outlined in the National Critical Minerals Council Act and Unearth Innovation Act,” said CRES President Heather Reams. These bills represent a crucial step forward in driving the responsible production of domestic critical minerals, which is pivotal for our nation’s energy security, technological advancement and environmental stewardship. By fostering innovation in mining technologies and ensuring a long term critical mineral vision and strategy, this legislation will help the U.S. reduce dependence on foreign adversaries while enhancing domestic production capabilities.”
Complementing this effort is the Critical Materials Future Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hickenlooper and Chris Coons (D-Del.), which would establish a new financing pilot program for the Department of Energy to support domestic critical mineral processing projects.
“CRES celebrates Sens. Graham (R-S.C.), Young (R-Ind.), Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Coons (D-Del.) for bringing bipartisan attention to our nation’s vulnerable critical material supply chain,” said CRES President Heather Reams. “As China dominates critical material refining and processing, there is a compelling case to diversify and onshore critical minerals and resources. While we also support permitting reforms and other mechanisms that are necessary to ensure long-term stability and certainty in supply chains, we appreciate this effort as a meaningful step toward addressing the challenges U.S. producers have in securing a robust domestic supply.”
CRES is glad to see this bipartisan cooperation to secure our clean energy supply chains and encourages our lawmakers to continue this work in Congress.