How Mineral Independence Influences America’s Energy Future

What You Need to Know:

• On Tuesday, February 28^th, I testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources’ Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee. The hearing examined two NMA-supported bills that could have major impacts on U.S. mining.
• During this hearing, I advocated for certain provisions to the bills that, if approved, will strengthen and streamline American mining practices.
• Without these important pieces of legislation, our country will fall further behind in not only mineral supply chain dependence, but also in climate change preparedness.

Letter From The President and CEO:

The climate crisis isn’t slowing down for anyone, which is why upscaling America’s energy infrastructure is one of the most important challenges of our generation. Few understand how dire these circumstances are more than Representatives Bruce Westerman and Pete Stauber. Both congressmen recently introduced legislation that has the potential to make the approval process for American mines quicker and more efficient.

Stauber, Chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources, proposed the “Permitting for Mining Needs Act.” This bill plans to speed up the approval process for domestic mines, lessening our reliance on mineral imports. Chairman Stauber said this act “empowers our mining community nationwide to harvest our resources and secure our domestic supply chains.”

Westerman, also the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced the “Transparency and Production of American Energy Act” which hopes to accelerate permitting for both fossil fuel pipelines as well as renewable energy projects. This all-of-the-above energy strategy will ensure no stone is left unturned in our path to energy independence.

During my testimony, I stressed the importance of these bills, which include improving the timeliness of permitting approvals and maintaining access to mineralized federal lands. You can read my full testimony here. When combined, they are a surefire way to make it easier to move forward with proposed mines that have been stuck in permitting limbo for years.

Take America’s lithium mines as an example. If we pass permitting reform, Piedmont Lithium and Ioneer will begin the development of mines that could provide enough lithium for a combined 870,000 electric vehicles every year, emitting less emissions than their internal-combustion counterparts. The strength of our country’s resilience during climate change is directly tied to how quickly we pass permitting reform and get shovels in the ground. It’s time to get digging.

If you’re interested, you can find my full testimony here.

Thank you,

Rich Nolan
NMA President and CEO