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Last night the National Mining Association honored outstanding achievements in mine safety with the Sentinels of Safety Awards. The Sentinels Award recognizes coal and mineral mining operations in 10 categories for recording the most hours in a calendar year without a single lost-time injury. A minimum of 4,000 hours is required for award consideration. Twenty American mining operations – six coal mines and 14 mineral/metal mines – were honored for their extraordinary safety performance in 2024. You can find more information on those winners on our website.
Yesterday, the Trump administration said it reissued the necessary permits to approve the Ambler Road project, which would provide mining access to an area with deposits of minerals including copper, cobalt, gallium and germanium. The White House has described the project as being “in the public interest” because of the need for “domestic critical minerals.” The Biden administration previously blocked the project.
This week is coal week on the Hill and, in honor of that designation, Senate Republicans on Thursday introduced legislation to make permanent several of President Trump’s coal orders. Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso introduced the “Combating Obstruction Against Leasing Act of 2025," which would make permanent an executive order Trump signed in April and require the Interior Department to issue final lease approvals without delay. Under the proposal, Interior would be required to complete all steps needed to approve leases, finalize fair market valuations of coal tracts, publish environmental assessments and implement regulations for all pending applications.
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Following on the heels of the US-Australia minerals agreement, The US International Development Finance Corp. has now established a new fund to invest in critical minerals alongside Orion Resource Partners and Abu Dhabi’s ADQ, as the Trump administration seeks to challenge China’s mineral dominance.
Called the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, the three partners have made initial capital commitments totaling $1.8 billion and are targeting an eventual pool of $5 billion.
And after 9 years of permitting, Perpetua Resources has now broken ground at its $1.3 billion Stibnite gold-antimony project in central Idaho.
CEO Jon Cherry said, “As America’s answer to China’s antimony export bans, we are focused on swiftly and safely bringing our antimony and gold project into development.”
And a potential congressional permitting deal is facing new headwinds. The Trump administration’s opposition to permitted offshore wind projects is jeopardizing prospects for a long-sought bipartisan permitting deal according to Politico.
Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island warned Wednesday that unless the administration stops its attacks on wind power “good luck with the trust required for a permitting deal.”
And as permitting reform hangs in the balance, the nation’s deteriorating grid reliability is now “a five-alarm fire,” according to Jim Robb, CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., the nation’s grid reliability watchdog.
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Caterpillar has announced a $725 million expansion of its large engine facility in Indiana, one of the company’s biggest manufacturing investments. Caterpillar aims to meet growing global mining, construction and energy demand driven by artificial intelligence, data centers and other critical infrastructure. The company also designated Indiana as one of the first states to benefit from its five-year, $100 million workforce development pledge. As part of that pledge, the company is committing up to $5 million to training initiatives
Coal use hit a record high around the world last year according to the World Resources Institute. The report found that, while more renewables were used overall, decreasing coal’s share of the electricity mix, the global surge in power needs meant that more coal was used than ever before, an undeniable signal that we are still in an era of energy addition, where an all of the above approach is needed.
And the EU is working to purchase and stockpile critical raw materials to ensure the supply of minerals and metals for everything from defense to automotive applications. The proposal is part of a new annual work plan presented yesterday and designed to meet “Europe’s independence moment.”
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The United States and Australia agreed yesterday to jointly invest at least $2 billion into critical-minerals projects as part of the countries’ efforts to reduce reliance on China. The Export-Import Bank is issuing seven Letters of Interest for more than $2.2 billion in financing to advance critical minerals and supply-chain security projects between both countries. Domestic U.S. firms and mines may get more access to funding, joint projects and government support.
Steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs said it wants to get into the rare earths mining business. During its earnings call, its CEO said “the renewed importance of rare earths has driven the company to re-focus on this potential opportunity at its upstream mining assets, adding that the company believes sites in Michigan and Minnesota show the most promise.
Both coal and renewables generation in the U.S. surged through the first three quarters of 2025, in large part thanks to the cost of natural gas. A lack of pipeline capacity is limiting how much gas can be moved from regions like West Texas to new liquefied natural gas terminals along the Gulf Coast, pushing gas prices up and impacting the use of natural gas for electricity production. S&P Global predicts coal generation will increase and gas generation will fall through 2027.
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The Wall Street Journal has a piece tracing just how China secured such a tight grasp on the world’s rare-earth markets, and why it’s so hard for other countries to counter. The piece looks at its efforts since the early 1990s to build a minerals empire, which has left it holding control over supply chains for cars, advanced energy technologies and defense systems.
The New York Times looks at how Australia could be an alternative source of rare earths, as the US looks to diversify away from China. It will certainly be a topic of discussion as Australia’s Prine minister sits down with President Trump later today.
And a wide range of outlets are looking at the Trump administration’s equity stake in mining companies – particularly Canadian mining companies, raising questions about whether Canada plans similar moves. Thus far, the Canadian government is reportedly unbothered by the U.S. government strategy, and while Prime Minister Mark Carney has opened a Major Projects Office to fast-track energy and mining projects, he has not yet suggested his government will follow the U.S. lead in taking stakes in projects.
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The Wall Street Journal has an editorial on efforts to counter China’s weaponization of rare-earth minerals. The piece calls China’s stranglehold on minerals supply chains “a serious problem.”
Reuters reports that mineral mining companies are boosting their lobbying efforts in Washington, driven by a desire of a piece of the government investments that the Trump administration has announced, and has said it will continue to pursue.
Finally, the Department of War has called off a tender for cobalt procurement. In mid-August, the Defense Logistics Agency sought offers to procure up to 7,500 tonnes of cobalt over the next five years, under a contract valued at $500m, marking the US Government’s first effort to acquire the metal since 1990. The DLA extended the deadline for offers several times, but has now withdrawn the tender. A notice on a US Government website stated: “There are outstanding issues with the Statement of Work that need resolution before offers may be solicited.” Hopefully better news to come once the tender is reissued.
That’s your mining minute for this morning, highlighting some of the mining-related matters that are on our minds here in Washington and beyond.
Follow us on the National Mining Association’s channels, as well as on Minerals Make Life and Count on Coal, for more on the latest news and policies impacting mining.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC yesterday that the Trump administration will set price floors across a range of industries including mining to combat market manipulation by China. Bessent also said the US will set up a strategic mineral reserve and that JPMorgan Chase is interested in working with the Trump administration to make that happen.
And because these days everyone is watching the markets, for those keeping track, precious metals continued to climb yesterday with gold and silver once again hitting record highs. Copper also rebounded after Federal Reserve Chair Powell signaled the Fed is on track for another quarter-point interest-rate cut this month.
Finally with President Zelensky set to meet with President Trump tomorrow to discuss ways to push Russia towards peace, NMA President and CEO Rich Nolan has a new op-ed on Real Clear Energy today on Russian coal as a potential pressure point. The Russian economy – and therefore its ability to wage war on Ukraine – is supported in large part by its energy exports. While President Trump has pressured allies to shun Russian oil and gas, Russia’s coal export revenues are larger than both pipeline gas and crude oil. So, as President Trump considers pathways to peace, coal should be on the discussion agenda.
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It seems everyone is talking about China’s latest rare earth restrictions. Automotive industry groups are warning of supply chain chaos. Virtually every country and region—from Japan to Australia, the EU to India—is looking at its own supply chains and alternative sourcing. And rare earths are seen as China’s ultimate trump card when negotiating its trade deal with the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he still expects President Trump and Chinese President Xi to meet in October so we’ll see more in this space soon.
In the markets, it’s a daily story but gold prices continue to climb. Gold crossed the $4,200-per-ounce threshold for the first time ever on Wednesday. The continued climb is on the shoulders of expectations of further U.S. rate cuts, and renewed U.S.-China trade worries.
Finally, yesterday, approximately 50 people gathered outside of the Department of Labor to urge the Trump administration to enforce a Biden-era silica rule that has been on hold since the spring due to litigation from a number of groups, including the National Mining Association. While the Biden administration’s Mine Safety and Health Administration was developing the rule in question, groups provided feedback. Importantly, our industry supports the new, lower dust levels, but provided extensive feedback on how to make the rule workable; the Biden administration, unfortunately ignored that feedback, and introduced an unworkable rule that the groups were forced to challenge. Industry continues to support the lower levels and hopes that changes can be made to achieve a workable rule that protects miners and is consistent with the silica standard that is already being used effectively by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
That’s your mining minute for this morning, highlighting some of the mining-related matters that are on our minds here in Washington and beyond.
Follow us on the National Mining Association’s channels, as well as on Minerals Make Life and Count on Coal, for more on the latest news and policies impacting mining.
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JPMorgan Chase said Monday that it will invest $10 billion in companies that are critical to U.S. national security. The bank is committed to facilitating $1.5 trillion in investments for companies deemed “critical to national economic security and resiliency” over the next 10 years, an amount that includes the $10 billion of its own capital as it follows the US government’s lead and pursues stakes in mineral mining companies, defense contractors and artificial-intelligence firms.
And speaking of investments in mining and the mineral supply chain, GM’s investment bet is now paying off. In 2021, GM invested in rare-earth magnet production in the U.S. as part of a broader effort to cut its reliance on China for parts, components and materials. Now, as China continues to introduce new restrictions on rare-earth magnet exports, a move that may cause car manufacturers to halt production, GM is poised to be the only U.S. automaker with a direct supply of American-made rare-earth magnets from multiple factories. The move was questioned at the time, with GM committing to long-term purchase agreements with suppliers whose magnets are more expensive than the Chinese ones, but that move is clearly paying off.
Finally, as gold continues to hit new records, silver is not to be outdone. Silver prices yesterday set an all-time high, eclipsing a 45-year-old record from 1980.
That’s your mining minute for this morning, highlighting some of the mining-related matters that are on our minds here in Washington and beyond.
Follow us on the National Mining Association’s channels, as well as on Minerals Make Life and Count on Coal, for more on the latest news and policies impacting mining.
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On average, people spend about one-third of their lives at work. That makes your choice of a career an incredibly important part of your life. In this special edition of the NMA's Mining Minute, we're going to look at one of the best careers you can choose, a career in mining.
The current job market for recent college grads in 2025 so far is one of the most challenging in the last decade. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, few people are quitting their jobs, employers are reluctant to hire. And while artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities in employment, it's also cutting into many entry-level writing, coding, and even design jobs.
One industry that is hiring, however, is the mining industry. Modern mining is looking for the next generation of miners. And how we define the job of a miner may surprise you. From operating mine machinery and vehicles to geologists, plant engineers to environmental engineers. The mining industry offers a wide range of high paying stable jobs. Many of the jobs don't require a college degree, and mining companies often offer extensive hands-on training experience to provide a foundation for your career.
Consider that the average wage for US miners is more than $98,000 a year. That's 30% above the national average. And given the massive appetite for both metals and minerals and the increasing need for fuels to power growing data centers and the electrification of really everything, these jobs are not going away anytime soon.
So whether your interest lies in operating unmanned vehicles and drones, or you're intrigued by the thought of exploring thousands of feet underground with the latest in high tech innovation, a career in mining might just be for you.
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The Chinese government today announced that it is raising the stakes again on rare earths, escalating its restrictions on exports of rare earth metals and restricting exports of many kinds of equipment needed to manufacture batteries for electric cars. The new rules will require government permission for the export of technology used to mine, process or recycle rare-earth minerals or make magnets from it. China’s Ministry of Commerce said the measures were needed to prevent rare earth metals from being used in technologies with possible military applications.
While most market watchers are seeing gold, the Wall Street Journal is seeing… platinum. In a story today, the Journal points out that despite gold’s record high this week, and the fact that silver is trading at a 45-year high. Platinum futures are up more than 85% in 2025. Our takeaway is it’s simply a good time to be in mining full stop.
And E&E yesterday took a look at what it calls the Trump administration’s “foray into mineral ownership.” From the calls we’re getting here at the National Mining Association, it seems every journalist is looking at the topic. But one quote in the piece in particular provides the answer to most of the questions that are being posed. A White House spokesperson is quoted saying, “President Trump pledged to upend the status quo policymaking that has clearly left glaring holes in America’s national and economic security… The Administration is committed to using every lever of executive power to deliver on this pledge.” End quote. And yes, in fact, these big deals may be as simple as the administration doing exactly what it said it would do.
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Well, if your word is as good as gold, it’s never been worth more. Gold prices hit $4,000 an ounce for the first time yesterday with investors looking for stability amidst geopolitical, trade and economic turmoil, a weaker dollar, and persistent inflation. And thus far this morning, it continues to climb with central banks and retail investors continuing to buy gold more than ever before.
The Senate moved yesterday, and is expected to vote again today to formally nix Biden-era anti-coal resource management plans that banned coal leasing in the powder river basin. A Congressional Review Act resolution for Montana passed today and similar votes on North Dakota and Alaska are expected today.
And the Washington Post carries a really thoughtful column on one journalist’s visit to Pennsylvania’s Enlow Fork Coal Mine, which is run by Core Natural Resources. The piece is called, “Down in a Pennsylvania mine, I saw coal’s future,” and it’s a must read for anyone who wants to better understand the coal industry.
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President Trump yesterday signed an executive order to advance the Ambler mining projects, a 200+mile-long mining road in Alaska. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said construction on the gravel road will begin next spring and the road will be jointly owned by the state, federal government and Native Alaskan villages.
As part of the announcement, in the latest government dealmaking news, South32 is selling down its stake in Canadian exploration company Trilogy to the Defense Department, which will in turn take a 10% piece of the company. Trilogy and South32 jointly own the Ambler Metals project which is dependent on the Ambler mining road. The area includes deposits of copper, zinc, silver and other metals. South32 also owns a roughly 11% stake in Trilogy. Shares in Trilogy doubled in after-hours trading Monday.
And while its good news for South32 and Trilogy, the government yesterday shot down reports that it is considering buying a stake in Critical Metals, the company developing one of the world’s largest rare earth resources in Greenland. On Friday, Reuters reported that Washington had been in talks over an equity investment in the company.
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Rio Tinto has signed a five-year deal with accompany called Ideon Technologies to use a technology that will help it find and map minerals deposits faster, more cheaply and more accurately. The technology will first be used at six sites around the world.
In an example of climbing electricity costs across the country, Xcel Energy customers in North Dakota are facing a 20 percent jump in prices, reportedly due in large part to the company’s move away from coal. Xcel last year retired one of three coal units at a plant in Minnesota and it plans to retire its three remaining coal units in 2026 and 2030, marking the company’s full exit from coal with customers bearing the costs of the transition. The increase must be approved by the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
And it’s another day, and another Trump administration deal rumor. The US government is reportedly looking at buying a stake in the company Critical Metals as part of the Trump administration’s strategy to expand its control over the world’s supply of critical minerals. The deal would give the administration a piece of a minerals project in southern Greenland, an area the President has talked a great deal about.
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“The crisis of reliability is no longer over the horizon…the crisis is across the street.” Former FERC chair Mark Christie on soaring demand, grid reliability and the need for dispatchable power. Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/1G8O8DvS5BQ
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The unfortunate government shutdown marches on and lawmakers are warning it risks derailing a potential permitting deal as the space and time for collaboration narrows.
However, not all government work is coming to a halt. The Department of Interior has announced it will continue to process oil and gas permits and leases, as well as coal energy leases, during the shutdown.
In non-shutdown news – in fact quite the opposite -- Duke Energy announced it plans to keep open three North Carolina coal power plants past their original retirement dates.
Duke says these extensions “reflect rising electricity demand across the Carolinas at an unprecedented pace.”
And US nuclear utilities face possible uranium shortages over the next decade, according to a new warning from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.S. uranium supply gap is expected to widen over the next decade to a combined 184 million pounds — equivalent to more than three years of consumption. More than 90% of the uranium consumed by US reactors last year was sourced internationally. The Trump administration says reshoring the nuclear fuel supply chain is a priority.
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While all of us here in Washington are focused on the unfortunate government shutdown, let’s look at what else is in the news today.
Well it’s official: The U.S. government is taking a 5% stake in Lithium Americas and a 5% stake in the company’s Nevada mining project, restructuring a $2 billion U.S. government loan agreement from 2024. In announcing the agreement Energy Secretary Christ Wright said, “It’s in America’s best interest to get that mine built,” noting that its production and processing capabilities will help reduce China’s hold on global lithium markets.
What impact does the government shutdown have on the commodities markets? They’re all seeing gold. Investors are reportedly moving away from commodities like agriculture and energy and going for the safe haven of gold. As a result, gold prices are once again surging to record highs.
Finally, Australia is willing to sell shares in its new strategic reserve of critical minerals to allies as Western governments scramble to end their reliance on China. Sources say, for a cash investment in the reserve and a guarantee on how much they will take, Australia's allies will receive shares in the strategic reserve and would be entitled to a percentage of critical minerals the reserve holds.
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As we previewed yesterday, the administration made a major announcement with a suite of coal policies aiming to boost coal production and revitalize the U.S. coal fleet to meet rising power demand driven by the AI arms race.
The Department of the Interior hosted the event and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, “We have to have a strong, powerful coal industry — not for five years, not for 10 years. It's got to be here for decades.”
He announced several policies to boost coal production, including opening 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal leasing and reducing the royalty rates for federal coal production from 12.5% to 7% -- a policy that was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He also said Interior will work to streamline coal lease approvals.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency would provide additional compliance time for coal plants to meet the 2024 Effluent Limitations Guidelines, a Biden-era wastewater rule. Zeldin also announced the agency is moving forward with plans to amend its regional haze rule.
The Energy Department announced it would invest $625 million into coal power plants. The investment will primarily go towards recommissioning or modernizing coal power units.
National Mining Association President Rich Nolan praised the administration’s actions and said “America’s coal miners are ready to meet the need.” Adding, “The administration’s comprehensive energy dominance strategy will ensure that our coal fleet can continue to buttress grid reliability with fuel-secure, dispatchable power.”
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Today we’ll focus on a significant breaking news story, as the administration is reportedly on the cusp of announcing later today a set of coal related policies that will complement the directives set in President Trump’s April executive orders.
The Secretary Wright said on FOX this morning that the administration will be providing a $625 million investment to expand and reinvigorate coal plants, and will be delaying the closure of many essential coal plants.
The $625 million investment includes $350 million to modernize coal plants with reliable electric power and capacity; $175 million for coal projects that are expected to bring cheaper, more reliable energy to rural communities; $50 million to upgrade wastewater management systems to extend the lifespan of coal plants and reduce operating costs; $25 million to enable coal power plants to operate on dual fuel; and $25 million to support investments that will maintain boiler efficiency and reliability when utilizing 100% natural gas.
More details to come this morning as other agencies release details of their actions on coal.
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As the U.S. prepares to cut off imports of uranium from Russia in 2028, the Department of Energy is expected to soon announce at least $900 million to boost uranium enrichment in the U.S. The funds could be announced by month’s end, and is expected to go to multiple companies for the low-enriched uranium used in traditional reactors.
Expanding on a story we covered yesterday morning, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told Reuters yesterday that the administration expects most of the nation's coal plants to delay retirement to help deliver the electricity needed for AI. It’s part of a broader strategy that also includes, as we just mentioned, boosting nuclear energy. Wright said the government had been in discussions with utilities across the country and expects most to delay any closure plans.
And the USGS announced yesterday it has awarded nearly $3 million in cooperative agreements to state geological surveys to study critical minerals in the materials left over from mining at active and legacy sites. The release highlights mine waste from former and active mines as “an accessible, aboveground source of critical minerals,” noting that these agreements hold the potential to both access more domestic minerals while offsetting the cost of cleanup.
- Visa fler
