U.S. Pushes to Secure Critical Minerals Supply

America's energy transition hinges on a reliable supply of lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, copper and rare earths, which power batteries, EV motors and grid storage.
Despite domestic reserves, the U.S. remains heavily import‑dependent for many critical minerals, while China dominates midstream refining and separation—creating strategic and economic vulnerability.
Policymakers are focusing on three priorities: speeding permitting, building domestic processing capacity, and increasing federal investment in R&D and mine development.
Permitting reform would centralize agency coordination, require concurrent reviews, set statutory NEPA timelines, expand FAST‑41 eligibility, and use programmatic exclusions to shorten approval times that now often take seven to ten years.
Expanding midstream processing—battery‑grade lithium conversion, rare‑earth separations and alloying—requires grant programs, tax incentives, critical‑infrastructure designation for facilities, and co‑location incentives to build vertically integrated supply chains.
Federal support for exploration and pilot projects is also essential: funding for DOE and USGS programs, a Critical Minerals Development Fund for low‑interest loans and cost‑share grants, and increased R&D on advanced separation and extraction technologies would de‑risk early‑stage projects and attract private capital.
DOE and DOD awards, FAST‑41 pilots and state initiatives show progress, but sustained policy action is needed to secure supply chains and industrial resilience.