The US Department of Energy is making $44 million available to commercial-ready technologies that would give the US a net-zero or net-negative emissions pathway toward increased domestic supplies of copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements and other critical minerals needed for the clean energy transition, Kallanish reports.

The funding is being provided by DOE’s Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resources (MINER) Program. That effort and other initiatives will help the US meet its climate goals while increasing US security and boosting the US economy, the agency says.

DOE made the announcement as part of a multi-day campaign by the White House to outline actions taken in the last year to boost supply chain resiliency and to spur domestic manufacturing capabilities since President Joe Biden signed an executive order to strengthen critical supply chains.

In the last year, more than 60 actions have been taken by the Biden administration to boost security and supply chains, DOE says in a new report. The document was described by DOE as America’s first comprehensive plan to build a secure, resilient and diverse domestic energy sector industrial base. Seven federal agencies and the White House released new supply chain reports.

New federal initiatives have been proposed. That includes increasing availability of critical minerals, investing in domestic production and processing of critical minerals, expanding US domestic manufacturing and increasing the use of clean energy. Other steps include developing improved batteries, regional hydrogen hubs, a rare earth refinery and federal stockpiles of key critical minerals.

“Taking bold action to invest in our supply chains means America will reap the tremendous opportunities that tacking climate change presents to kickstart domestic manufacturing and help ensure our national, economic and energy security,” says Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $62 billion for energy sector funding.