Feb. 24, 2022–U.S. President Joe Biden met with corporate executives, labor leaders, and California Governor Newsom on Tuesday to announce a commitment to reduce America’s dependency from other nations for critical minerals like lithium and graphite. It is part of Biden’s review of U.S. supply chains, which started with an executive order in 2021. The goal, according to the White House statement, is to reduce dependency on China.
While moving toward self-sufficiency, the White House is focused on creating sustainable jobs within this industry while benefiting communities. The private sector is taking action. Corporate leaders discussed their plans to extract, collect and recycle critical minerals.
Industry Advances
Along that line, this Spring, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables plans to test the practicality of a critical mineral extraction facility in Imperial Valley with a capacity of producing 90,000 metric tons of lithium annually. Furthermore, MP Materials reported it is constructing a critical mineral facility with the manufacturing capabilities of 500,000 electric vehicle motors yearly.
Meanwhile, Redwood Materials, a sustainable energy corporation, announced it is teaming up with Ford and Volvo automobile companies on a pilot program in Nevada to recycle lithium batteries and reclaim critical minerals, such as cobalt, nickel and graphite. This is in addition to joint venture with Ford to build a recycling facility in Tennessee. Also, Redwoods intends goal to construct a new cathode facility located in Nevada.
Previous Announcements
These announcements build on other U.S.-based work. For example, Tesla previously announced plans to procure high-quality nickel from Talon Metals in Minnesota. Also, Talon Metals publicized a partnership with the United Steelworkers to train workers on next-generation technologies in mining communities most impacted by declining demand.
Executive Branch Work
As the Biden Administration moves forward to secure a sustainable supply of domestic critical minerals, the Interior Department has created an Interagency Working Group to oversee legislative reform surrounding obsolete mining laws, labor standards, mining permitting and oversight. The department is prioritizing the list of critical minerals to aid in this process while simultaneously working with the Departments of Energy, Defense, and State to develop a clean energy standard and stockpiling strategy.
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