Critical Minerals: America’s Achilles Heel?
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributes to this article about how the U.S. lacks minerals and metals and is import-dependent. The Biden administration has made securing rare earth minerals a priority in its effort to decarbonize the U.S. economy. Texas-based USA Rare Earth LLC is planning to produce half of the rare earth elements crucial to the administration’s projects at this Texas Round Top mining operation. The U.S. Geological Survey is proposing to expand the current list of minerals crucial to the economy and to national defense from 30 to 50. January 19, 2022.