The DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has announced its notice of intent to release a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will work to restore the U.S. as a world leader in the extraction, separation, and refining of critical minerals and materials (CMM) used to produce consumer goods, electronics, and components for defense materials, solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable energy technologies.
The FOA would fund projects focusing on the development of a domestic CMM production and supply chain network using a variety of sources, including coal and wastes from fossil energy production and mining, acid mine drainage, recycled materials, and more.
According to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, in 2023, the U.S. imported more than half its consumption for at least 39 of 50 critical materials and there was no domestic production for 15 of those critical materials.
FECM’s goal is to grow an environmentally and economically sustainable CMM and carbon ore resource recovery industry in America. It plans to support projects that advance extraction, separation, and refining capabilities while creating good-paying jobs for U.S. citizens.
Learn more here.