Hoping to mine: The nascent critical materials industry in the United States

Abstract

The surge in demand for lithium-ion batteries, driven by the increase in production of electric vehicles, necessitates a robust supply of critical materials. At present, there is no efficient way for scholars or practitioners to access project-specific information about policy-aspects of the critical-material mining sector in the U.S. To address this gap, this article presents the Database of EV Critical Material Projects (DEV-CaMP), a comprehensive and publicly accessible resource to analyze the state of the EV-specific critical material mining sector in the U.S. The database describes planned and active U.S. mines and processing facilities for seven key EV-related materials: cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, manganese, nickel, and neodymium. Included are 91 project sites, chiefly located in Nevada, Arizona, California, and Idaho. Most developers are headquartered outside the U.S., primarily in Canada and Australia. Lithium and copper projects dominate, with 32 and 31 sites respectively, while fewer projects focus on the other five minerals. Key findings include (1) only thirteen sites are currently active (mostly for copper), with 24 projects delayed indefinitely; most projects [54] are in the exploration or development stages; (2) regulatory and public opposition challenges – like conflicts over water rights, land ownership, and environmental concerns – have impacted 27 sites; (3) federal financial support from the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and the Export–Import Bank of the United States has been awarded to 21 projects, mostly for processing rather than mining. Overall, the pioneering database reveals that the U.S. mining sector for EV-related critical materials is emergent yet vulnerable.