Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act
Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act
Plain Language Summary
# Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act Summary **What the Bill Does:** This legislation requires the Department of Energy to identify and monitor critical minerals and energy resources that the U.S. depends on but may have trouble obtaining. The DOE would need to regularly assess which resources are essential for America's energy systems, where they come from, and whether supply chains are at risk of disruption. The bill also directs the department to study domestic production capacity, examine how federal regulations affect mining and imports, and evaluate how relying on foreign sources affects national security. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily impacts energy companies, mining operations, the Department of Energy, and policymakers.
It indirectly affects consumers by influencing energy prices and availability. The legislation reflects concerns about U.S. dependence on other countries—particularly adversaries—for materials needed for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and other modern energy infrastructure. **Current Status:** The bill has passed the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate for consideration. If enacted, it would not directly fund new mining or production but would require the government to better understand vulnerabilities in America's energy supply chains and develop strategies to address them.
CRS Official Summary
Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply ActThis bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to secure the supply of critical energy resources that are essential to the energy security of the United States. A critical energy resource means an energy resource (1) that is essential to the energy sector and energy systems of the United States, and (2) the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption.As part of its duties, DOE must conduct ongoing assessments ofenergy resource criticality,the U.S. supply chain of critical energy resources and its vulnerabilities, the diversity of domestic critical energy resource supply chains,capacity constraints on the domestic production of critical energy resources,federal regulations affecting the domestic production or importation of critical energy resources, how energy security is affected by reliance on imports of critical energy resources, and how adversarial nations seek to exploit critical energy resource markets to undermine investment in the United States.DOE must alsofacilitate the development of strategies to strengthen critical energy resource supply chains,develop substitutes and alternatives to critical energy resources, andimprove technology that reuses and recycles critical energy resources.
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.