Department of Energy materials lists to strengthen the domestic...

Department of Energy materials lists to strengthen the domestic supply chain and include copper, electrical steel, silicon, and silicon carbide on the critical minerals list.

“This vote highlights copper’s essential role in powering America’s energy future, electrifying transportation, creating jobs, and strengthening infrastructure,” Copper Development Association CEO Adam Estelle said in a news release. “This is a significant win for U.S. manufacturing, the clean energy transition, and our nation’s global competitiveness.”

The legislation will standardize criteria for identifying critical minerals and includes provisions to reduce reliance on foreign imports by encouraging domestic mining, refining, and recycling efforts.

The legislation specifically ensures critical mineral projects, including copper mine projects, are eligible for the FAST-41 permitting process – a program that improves agency coordination and establishes two-year completion goals, to create a more efficient, predictable, and timely federal environmental review process for covered projects, NEMA said in a separate release.

The bill next goes to the Senate for approval.

https://www.mining.com/us-house-of-representatives-approves-2024-critical-mineral-consistency-act/