WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy last week launched a sweeping set of initiatives aimed at reshaping the nation’s mineral supply chains, accelerating long-stalled permitting reforms, and advancing artificial intelligence–enabled scientific discovery — actions that senior officials say mark a decisive pivot toward U.S. energy dominance and technological leadership.
On Monday, the Department’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity offering up to $134 million to boost domestic recovery and processing of rare earth elements. The funding targets projects capable of extracting and refining the minerals from unconventional sources such as mine tailings, electronic waste, and other discarded materials.
“For too long, the United States has relied on foreign nations for the minerals and materials that power our economy,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. He described the effort as a central pillar in President Donald J. Trump’s push to rebuild domestic mining and industrial capacity and reduce dependence on overseas suppliers.
Rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium are essential for electric motors, advanced weapons systems, and high-performance magnets. The initiative builds on DOE’s Rare Earth Demonstration Facility program and is intended to support full-scale extraction and separation operations within the United States.
By Wednesday, the Department released two major National Petroleum Council studies calling for urgent modernization of U.S. energy infrastructure. The reports — one focused on gas-electric coordination and another on oil and natural gas permitting — outline reforms to strengthen grid reliability and streamline federal approvals for pipelines and related facilities.
“The National Petroleum Council’s findings confirm what President Trump has said from day one: America needs more energy infrastructure, less red tape, and serious permitting reform,” Wright said.
The gas-electric study warns that rising demand for electricity and natural gas is straining pipelines in key regions and could threaten reliability without improved coordination and long-term planning. Recommendations include establishing a Natural Gas Readiness Forum, updating market structures, and compensating gas-fired power generators for reliability services.
The permitting study calls for clarifying federal environmental review requirements, creating predictable timelines for project approvals, and expanding the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authority to expedite natural gas projects. It also urges limits on state authority under the Clean Water Act’s Section 401, citing delays to interstate pipelines.
DOE officials framed the recommendations as essential to expanding domestic energy production and keeping consumer costs down.
On Thursday, Wright traveled to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to launch what DOE leaders describe as a transformational new capability in autonomous biological research. The Anaerobic Microbial Phenotyping Platform, or AMP2, built in partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, is designed to conduct microbe-driven experimentation at unprecedented speed using automation and artificial intelligence.
“This ongoing public-private partnership at PNNL will help do exactly that in the field of biotechnology,” Wright said after commissioning the platform. The initiative forms part of the Trump Administration’s broader Genesis Mission, which aims to leverage AI to accelerate scientific breakthroughs across DOE’s national laboratories.
Researchers say the platform can identify and optimize microbial strains for biomanufacturing and materials science in days or weeks rather than years.
PNNL Director Deb Gracio called AMP2 “a milestone in maintaining our nation’s global leadership in biotechnology innovation,” while Ginkgo Bioworks CEO Jason Kelly compared the administration’s push to the scale and urgency of the Manhattan Project and the Apollo Program.
Wright’s visit to PNNL marked the 16th stop on his tour of all 17 DOE national laboratories.
Across the week’s announcements, DOE officials emphasized a common theme: rebuilding U.S. capacity, accelerating innovation, and confronting global competitors by harnessing domestic resources and advanced technology.
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