President Trump signed an executive order to expedite domestic critical minerals production by calling on emergency powers to streamline permitting and ramp up funding and loans for mineral mining projects.
Minerals covered by the order include uranium, copper, potash, gold, and any other element, compound, or material as determined by the chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, such as coal. Nickel, copper and other minerals are used in manufacturing silicon-based solar modules.
“Access to critical raw materials remains a significant barrier to scaling up clean energy production here at home,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, chief executive officer, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “President Trump’s executive order takes crucial steps to address these challenges by improving coordination between agencies and streamlining the permitting process.”
“With an expanded list of ‘critical’ minerals, innovative financing solutions, and broader eligibility for FAST-41 status, this order opens up new opportunities to overcome obstacles and accelerate the growth of clean energy manufacturing and deployment in the United States,” Ross Hopper said.
A range of minerals including graphite, copper, manganese and lithium are used in batteries for long-term energy storage, home backup systems and electric vehicles batteries.
Rebecca Konolige, director of federal affairs at Zero Emission Transportation Association said, “Hardrock mineral development—from extraction through processing and refining—is truly the bedrock of our modern economy. Commodities like copper, graphite, lithium, and cobalt are essential to countless advanced technologies, from missile systems to consumer electronics to electric vehicles.”
“Enabling the United States to truly compete in these sectors is necessary to maintain our edge in the global marketplace and create jobs here at home,” Konolige said. “This is more important than ever as allied nations work to reorient critical supply chains away from foreign adversaries, and the private sector works to develop a secure and reliable source of minerals to support domestic manufacturing.”
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