The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced plans to issue nearly $1 billion in funding opportunities to scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies for critical minerals and materials. This plan follows President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order, aiming to strengthen domestic supply chains essential for energy, defense, and industrial competitiveness.
“For too long, the United States has relied on foreign actors to supply and process the critical materials that are essential to modern life and our national security,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “The Energy Department will play a leading role in reshoring the processing of critical materials and expanding our domestic supply of these indispensable resources.”
Multiple DOE offices and programs will facilitate the launch of this funding, each targeting a key supply chain gap. Up to $50 million will be available through the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office to strengthen the rare-earth magnet supply chain, refine materials like gallium and germanium for semiconductors, advance direct lithium extraction, and develop separation technologies to recover valuable products from byproducts and scrap.
Also Read: Rare Earths Are The Energy Transition’s Hidden Bottleneck, Study Shows
Meanwhile, the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management will provide about $250 million to pilot recovery of critical minerals from existing industrial processes, including coal facilities.
Another $135 million from the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) will focus on rare earth elements, supporting domestic refining and recovery from tailings and waste streams. The same office plans to deploy up to $500 million for battery materials processing, manufacturing, and recycling, covering lithium, graphite, nickel, copper, aluminum, and other critical battery minerals.
In addition, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy will direct $40 million to recover critical minerals from industrial wastewater through its RECOVER program, potentially tapping overlooked sources for a substantial share of U.S. demand.
Trump first ventured into this effort during his first term in 2020, with the signing of the Energy Act of 2020, which set the legislative foundation for federal support of critical mineral supply chains.
Since then, DOE has directed billions into the sector, producing major winners like MP Materials (NYSE:MP), recipient of over $600 million in Defense Department and DOE funding, including a $150 million DoD loan for rare earth separation in California and a $58.5 million tax credit for a Texas magnet factory.
Price Watch: MP Materials closed Wednesday at $75.40, up 0.60% for the day. The stock has surged 360% year-to-date.
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