DOE Critical Materials Collaborative, Innovation Hub, and the USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals and Critical Minerals Atlas

     The U.S. Department of Energy continues to fund, collaborate, and innovate on domestic critical minerals development. Both the Biden and Trump administration DOEs have led this focus. One major goal of the program is to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals and REE mining and processing.  

 

The Critical Materials Collaborative

     The Critical Materials Collaborative was launched in the summer of 2023 by the Biden DOE in order “to improve and increase communication and coordination among DOE, government agencies, and stakeholders working on critical materials projects.” The goal is to accelerate “commercialization, deployment, and the development of secure domestic critical material supply chains.”

 

​​​​​​The Critical Materials Innovation Hub

     ​​​​​​The Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI Hub), formerly the Critical Materials Institute, was established in 2013 and is led by Ames National Laboratory. It is a multidisciplinary effort to improve critical materials innovation to the benefit of the country. 

     The CMI Hub addresses challenges in “mineral processing, manufacture, substitution, and efficient use; integrating scientific research, engineering innovation, manufacturing and process improvements.” Nine national laboratories, more than a dozen universities, and 30 industry partners are members of the CMI Hub. CMI Hub also funds research patents.

DOE Critical Materials Funding Announcements

     On November 14, 2025, the DOE announced $355 million in funding “to expand domestic production of critical materials essential for advancing U.S. energy production, manufacturing, transportation and national defense.”

“The first funding opportunity provides up to $275 million for American industrial facilities capable of producing valuable minerals from existing industrial and coal byproducts. The second provides up to $80 million to establish Mine of the Future proving grounds for real-world testing of next-generation mining technologies.”

In August, the DOE announced its “intent to invest $1 billion to advance and scale mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies.” As noted, with the November announcement, they also emphasized producing critical materials as byproducts from existing feedstocks, including coal waste and industrial waste.

• Coal-based feedstocks – advancing and accelerating demonstration of critical material production using coal-based resources as feedstocks.
• Industrial byproducts and wastes – open to all U.S. industry sectors that produce market-ready materials where industrial byproducts and/or wastes can be a source of crucially needed critical materials.

     These pilots will be well-funded and provide opportunities to recover significant value from waste streams. The agency also hopes to develop and strengthen a critical materials workforce.

     On December 1, 2025, the DOE announced $134 million in funding to strengthen Rare Earth Element supply chains. It will fund pilot demonstrations for recovering and refining/processing REEs from “unconventional feedstocks including mine tailings, e-waste, and other waste materials.”

“REEs, such as Praseodymium, Neodymium, Terbium and Dysprosium, are vital components in advanced manufacturing, defense systems, and high-performance magnets used in power generation and electric motors. By investing in domestic REE recovery and processing, DOE is working to secure America’s energy independence, strengthen economic competitiveness, and ensure long-term resilience in the nation’s supply chains.”

 

USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals

     The Energy Act of 2020 requires the USGS to use an updated methodology to quantify the risks associated with potential supply chain disruptions. The methodology for determining minerals to be on the list is an economic model that utilizes current markets, pricing, and potential for supply disruptions.

“The updated methodology uses an economic model that the USGS developed to estimate the potential effects of foreign trade disruptions of mineral commodities on the U.S. economy. The analysis also provides a prioritization based on the results. The economic model has several advantages over previous assessments, including the ability to directly compare the results against other economic risks and the costs of initiatives aimed at reducing the risks.”

     There are 10 new minerals on the 2025 list, which is updated from the 2022 list, including metallurgical coal. Arsenic and tellurium were determined to be no longer critical but will remain on the list until the next assessment, pending further data.

 

USGS Critical Minerals Atlas

     The USGS also has a dashboard where critical minerals production and processing can be evaluated for different countries. The first figure below shows the top five critical minerals produced and processed in the U.S., and the second figure below shows the top five produced and processed in China. In the U.S., the missing names are rare earth elements, after beryllium, and zinc, after zirconium. In China, the two missing names are magnesium, after gallium, and cobalt (refined), after tungsten.

U.S. Top 5 Critical Minerals: #2 is rare earth elements, and #4 is zinc

 China Top 5 Critical Minerals: #2 is magnesium, and #4 is cobalt (refined)

    

References:

 

About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals. US Geological Survey. Mineral Resources Program. November 6, 2025. About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals | U.S. Geological Survey

Critical Materials Collaborative. U.S. Department of Energy. Critical Materials Collaborative | Department of Energy

Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI). U.S. Department of Energy. Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI) | Department of Energy

Energy Department Announces $355 Million to Expand Domestic Production of Critical Minerals and Materials. U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Department Announces $355 Million to Expand Domestic Production of Critical Minerals and Materials | Department of Energy

Energy Department Announces $134 Million in Funding to Strengthen Rare Earth Element Supply Chains, Advancing American Energy Independence. U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Department Announces $134 Million in Funding to Strengthen Rare Earth Element Supply Chains, Advancing American Energy Independence | Department of Energy

Critical Materials Innovation Hub: 10 Years of Innovation, Influence, & Impact. U.S. Department of Energy. September 2024. Critical Materials Innovation Hub: 10 Years of Innovation, Influence, & Impact

Critical Minerals Atlas. US Geological Survey. Critical Minerals Atlas | USGS