Critical Minerals

Colorado School of Mines licenses rare earth element tech to boost U.S. processing efficiency and support critical mineral supply chains.

Mines’ Walt Copan urges U.S. leadership in critical minerals innovation, calling for coordinated strategy and investment in advanced mining.

Mines experts are advancing U.S. critical minerals policy discussions with data-driven insight, shaping energy, security and workforce innovation.

The 2025 State of Critical Minerals Report from the Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines underscores opportunities to strengthen U.S. mineral security through smarter investment in refining, processing, byproduct recovery and recycling.

The outsized role critical minerals play in defense and renewable energy applications fuels much of the attention on this sector now. China has raced ahead of the rest of the world in mining, refining

Student researchers in Mines' Mineral and Energy Economics Program are delving into topics from geopolitics and supply chain risks to artisanal mining and responsible sourcing related to the global critical minerals landscape.

Reza Hedayat, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Mines, sees mine tailings — the material left over from everyday mining operations — not as waste and a growing environmental concern but an opportunity.

Mines and the US Geological Survey are deepening their critical minerals partnership with a new shared research facility opening in 2027.

With expertise in critical minerals mining, policy, economics and community engagement, researchers at Colorado School of Mines are helping chart a path to strengthened national resilience and resource independence.