State and federal officials announced plans Tuesday to establish in California an end-to-end domestic supply chain of rare Earth elements and other minerals essential to modern technology.
Gov. Gavin Newsom joined President Joe Biden as well as executives from the mineral mining and processing industry to announce both public and private investments in the mining of minerals like lithium and cobalt.
Federal officials say the global demand for these so-called critical minerals is expected to spike between 400 and 600 percent in the coming years, because they are essential for clean energy sources like wind turbines, solar panels and the batteries used in electric vehicles.
The federal government awarded roughly $35 million to California mining company MP Materials, which will invest an additional $700 million into creating a domestic supply chain for permanent magnets, which are used in electric vehicle motors, electronics and wind turbines.
MP Materials plans to create more than 350 jobs by 2024 to establish the supply chain through its processing facility in Mountain Pass, California.
“Multibillion-dollar supply chains do not move overnight,” MP Materials CEO James Litinsky said Tuesday during a virtual discussion with Biden and Newsom. “It’s going to require capital, it’s going to require perseverance… and most importantly, it’s going to require a true commitment from leadership across the board.”
Berkshire Hathaway’s renewable energy division also announced that it plans to test the viability of a sustainable lithium extraction process at a facility to be built in Imperial County.
According to Berkshire Hathaway, if the process of extracting lithium from geothermal brine is successful, the company could produce battery-grade lithium at a commercial scale within five years.
Biden said the U.S. imports nearly all of its critical minerals from other countries, especially China, Australia and Chile, and a domestic supply chain will be necessary to maintain national economic security.
“These new investments are going to do more than create good-paying jobs,” Biden said. “They’re also going to set America up to lead the world in building a clean-energy economy and clean-energy future.”
22 comments
Move all the unhoused to Imperial County and give them jobs!
“oh that would be cruel”…. “Make the homeless work?” “Make prisoners work?”
I’m sure somehow the crazy liberal left & dems would object, and think it’s somehow racist too.
So we are going to save the environment by mining in California? Anyone else calling BS on this?………
As I was reading this article, I was thinking the exact same thing.
Boy, the conservationists must be howling.
It’s not a surprise in this Socialistic state.
Clean energy through the devastation of the land.
Just how much will this cost the taxpayers?
I keep remembering the bullet train that drains the state funds to the tune of Billions each year.
Dumb and Dumber colluding…
Oh, GREAT!
Another “Solindra”.
What could go wrong?
Let’s launder more money!
Interestingly, Newsom has not done a similar exercise with oil and natural gas which is quite abundant in this state.
AD
Why is lithium mining a problem?
For all intents and purposes, lithium mining is cheap and effective. There is no blasting involved in lithium mining, however. There is no fracturing of stone or sprays of acid and other toxic chemicals as with other mining industries. Chemicals are used but the dangers those pose are presumably nothing compared to the damage fracking is capable of inflicting.
The biggest environmental danger posed by lithium mining is the amount of water the process uses up: an estimated 500,000 gallons of water per ton of lithium extracted. This can endanger the communities where the lithium is being mined because it can cause droughts or famine if operations are not kept in check.
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If mining will be permitted on state and federal lands, then so should petroleum extraction.
Americans want an “all of the above” energy policy.
Let the Enviro- Dogs loose … Mt Pass has lost $$, due to State Regulation, move 30miles East, NV, no problem
Biden might want to get some balls and go after Putin. This is just setting up china to get Taiwan. There goes my 401k. How about we start up that pipe line from alaska again that trump had going and Biden shut down. We are screwed for awhile. Dam wake up people the dems are not the answer.
@Antlers008: Biden is impotent in quite a few different areas!
Biden and Newsom are a bad combination. When together, their collective IQ drops precipitously.
The timing of this announcement is further proof that their only plan is to react to the lead of others. Personally, I think it’s good they are going to piss off the environmentalists with this proposal. Finally the environmentalists can see that these two don’t give a **ck about the environment. It’s strictly about money and power. In the words of Johnny Rotton, “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”
This made me laugh hahah and I take it as true information.
The real question is, how much will Joe and Gavin end up profiting, monetarily, from it?
Exactly!!
California continues to be in an “extreme drought”. California residents continue to be told to reduce their water use. Farmers are being told that they will not be given water for crops. Yet the state and federal governments are pushing for lithium mining in California which uses an inordinate amount of water!!
I guess mining lithium for batteries to support electric vehicles is more important than producing food.
Will they be placer mining? So destroying the landscape in the name of batteries is OK as long as we don’t drill for oil. We will see what we will see.
Biden will no-doubt give California the same level of ‘service’ he gave to Afghanistan and Ukraine. Newsom will no doubt be doing the Laundry mask-free for the performance.
Thank God I sold up & left this thieving state!
In Hawaii 4.75% sales tax, 1/3 cost to register my car, so far gas is less, no state income tax on pension and social security!
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