Biden invokes Defense Production Act to expand mineral mining
Biden to spur domestic critical mineral production
US president invokes the Defense Production Act to expand domestic supply as administration seeks to curb reliance on imports
US president Joe Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to incentivise the production and recovery of critical minerals used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The move adds lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite and manganese to the list of items covered by the Defense Production Act, a law dating from the Korean War that allows the president to use emergency authority to expand domestic supply of certain types of products. “It is the policy of my administration that ensuring a robust, resilient, sustainable and environmentally responsible domestic industrial base to meet the requirements of the clean energy economy, such as the production of large-capacity batteries, is essential to our
Also in this section
28 November 2025
The launch of the bloc’s emissions trading system in 2005 was a pioneering step, but as the scheme hits 21 its impact as a driver of decarbonisation is still open to debate
18 November 2025
Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Dewhurst Award, the highest honour bestowed by WPC Energy. The Dewhurst Award celebrates exceptional leadership, groundbreaking innovation and a lifetime of significant achievements in sup-port of the development and advancement of the energy industry.
11 November 2025
Transition policies must recognise that significant industrial demand for carbon will continue even as economies hit net zero
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined
