WSU Tri-Cities hosts community panel on the future of critical minerals

"Critical minerals" have moved from obscure policy jargon to a central topic in debates over energy, technology, and national security. What the term means and why it matters will be the focus of a community forum hosted from 3:30-5 p.m. on March 10 at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

The forum, titled "Digging for Energy: Why Critical Minerals Matter," is being organized by the WSU Tri-Cities' Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) and will take place both online and in person in Richland.

The program will feature a four-person panel, including guest speakers from WSU, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and other industry groups. Together, they will discuss the current state of U.S. critical mineral supplies and how those supplies affect domestic energy and technology development. The panel is designed for a general audience, offering clear explanations that break down the complexities of the topic.

Erin Benson, assistant professor of critical minerals for the WSU School of the Environment and an INEF faculty fellow, is one of the panelists helping to organize the event. She said it's not surprising that many people are learning about critical minerals for the first time. Although the terminology traces back to World War II-era legislation concerning "critical materials" deemed essential to the war effort, it's only become a mainstream topic in the last decade.

"The goal of this panel is really to give people an avenue to learn what these critical minerals are, why we want them, where we're getting them, and also ask questions to help understand the science around the topic," she said.

When it comes to government policy, Benson explained, the designation of a critical mineral centers on two key considerations. The first is its economic value and significance, including whether the mineral is necessary for producing essential goods or energy infrastructure. The second factor to consider is supply chain vulnerability - whether the nation's access to the mineral could be disrupted.

"If you have a mineral that is fundamental to the functioning of your society and domestically you have an excellent supply of it - or most of your trade is with allies you're rock solid with - it's not a critical mineral, because you're not worried about the supply chains," Benson said. "So, a critical minerals list will be different from country to country."

In the United States, the critical minerals list is developed and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey on behalf of the Department of the Interior. The most recent version, published last November, includes 60 minerals, ranging from aluminum - used across all sectors of the economy - to zirconium, essential for nuclear reactors and other advanced technologies.

The list also includes all 15 rare earth elements, some of which are crucial for producing high-quality magnets used in large-scale electricity-generating turbines. Today, an estimated 70% of all rare earth elements produced globally come from China.

"China has at times turned off the tap on rare earth elements and just stopped exporting them to anyone," Benson said. "It's a known risk."

For the March panel, Benson said she hopes to discuss how the U.S. government surveys for potential critical mineral deposits, as well as the risks and tradeoffs associated with domestic production.

"There could be tons of deposits at depth that we can't get to, or where it's not economical to get to," she said. "So then this also becomes a question of what's actually cost-effective to mine."

In addition to Benson, the panelists for the forum are Aaron Feaver, WSU's executive director for the Joint Center for Deployment & Research in Earth Abundant Materials; Nabajit Lahiri, research scientist at PNNL; and Sidney Smith, government affairs manager for the American Exploration and Mining Association. The event is free and open to the public. Those who plan to attend are encouraged to RSVP online.