Bringing the right research team together at an Iowa laboratory will help ensure there are enough rare earth metals in the U.S. supply chain, an official said.
The U.S. Department of Energy said it was backing the Critical Materials Institute in Ames, Iowa, with as much as $120 million over the next five years. The research team would look for solutions to the domestic shortage of rare earth metals and other materials the government deems critical to U.S. energy security.
David Danielson, assistant secretary for renewable energy, said such materials are critical for manufacturing low-carbon resources such as electric vehicles and wind turbines.
Source: UPI.com