U.S. Energy Department offers $134M to boost rare earth recovery projects

The U.S. Energy Department is making up to $134 million available to projects that demonstrate the commercial viability of recovering and refining rare earths originating from mine tailings, discarded electronics and other waste materials, according to a Dec.1 press release.

The department launched the Notice of Funding Opportunity as another step in the Trump administration’s effort to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources for critical minerals essential to military and domestic industries, per the release.

“We have these resources here at home, but years of complacency ceded America’s mining and industrial base to other nations,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.

Read more at Utility Dive