Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Exploring New Frontiers

Today, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing on the need to unleash innovation and secure America's mineral supply chains. Subcommittee Chair Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) issued the following statement in response:

"As emerging technologies strengthen America's mining capabilities, demand for critical minerals will surge. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are cutting needless regulations to empower U.S. miners and spur innovation. By streamlining permitting and advancing new technologies, we can expand domestic production and refining, secure our supply chain, and move toward true energy and mineral independence."

Background

Critical minerals are now fundamental to modern life, powering everything from consumer electronics and medical devices to satellites, electric vehicle batteries, and defense technologies. Over the past two decades, global trade in energy-related critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, copper, and cobalt has surged from $53 billion to $378 billion. Demand is projected to grow nearly 500 percent by 2050.

Despite this need, the United States remains heavily dependent on foreign suppliers. Lengthy permitting delays, restrictive policies, and regulatory uncertainty have discouraged domestic investment and constrained the U.S. mineral supply. A 2024 S&P Global assessment found that U.S. critical mineral projects take an average of 29 years to move from discovery to production, one of the slowest timelines in the world. Permitting delays and lengthy timelines can result in projects losing more than one-third of their total value over the life of a project. As a result, America imports over half of its supply of 29 critical minerals and 100 percent of 12 more. Meanwhile, China dominates global markets, producing 5 billion tons of minerals annually and controlling 85 percent of worldwide processing and refining capacity.

One of the most promising breakthroughs is direct lithium extraction (DLE), which enables rapid recovery of lithium from brines with minimal land disturbance. Demonstration plants in Nevada and California have produced lithium hundreds of times faster than traditional methods, with recovery rates exceeding 90 percent. While challenges remain, including high capital costs and site-specific technical issues, technology represents a significant opportunity for domestic lithium production.

President Trump and Congressional Republicans are advancing policies to unleash American mineral production, reverse burdensome Biden-era restrictions, modernize permitting, and strengthen the domestic supply chain. Strategic investments, regulatory reform, and technological innovation will be essential to ensuring energy security, reducing reliance on adversarial nations like China, and maintaining American leadership in the global energy economy.