The government ramped up its focus on U.S. independence in the supply of critical minerals for electric vehicle and clean energy battery production—as a Senate committee hearing on March 31 revealed an acute need to address domestic supply vulnerabilities and President Joe Biden authorized use of the Defense Production Act to expand sources of materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt.
The act allows the president to respond to a national emergency by requiring private companies to prioritize orders from the federal government. It's intended to reduce mineral imports from Russia, China and other “unreliable foreign sources” in furthering the U.S. clean energy transition, according to a White House fact sheet.