As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced over US$17 million for three projects that will support the design and construction of facilities that produce rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials from coal-based resources.
The projects, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, may strengthen domestic supply chains, helping to meet the growing demand for critical minerals and materials and reduce reliance on unreliable foreign sources. Rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials are key to manufacturing clean energy technologies here in America – such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells. Coal and coal production waste contain valuable rare earth elements that can be used to manufacture clean energy technology components, creating high-quality jobs in communities that have historically produced fossil fuels and helping to combat climate change.
“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping narrow the nation’s dependence on foreign supply chains, by reimagining the use of coal waste and byproducts as a domestic source of the critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The investments announced today will not only increase our national security and ensure a cleaner environment but will also help deliver high-quality jobs in all pockets of the country.”
The US currently imports more than 80% of rare earth elements, but rare earth elements naturally occur all around, including in domestic coal and coal wastes, which comprise more than 250 billion t of coal reserves, over 4 billion t of waste coal, and about 2 billion t of coal ash. DOE seeks to tap this unconventional resource to help build a domestic supply chain critical to the US economy, clean energy, and national security.
