What Utah Gov. Spencer Cox talked about with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland

As the Biden administration continues to promote green energy over fossil fuels, critical minerals — and the Western states where they are mined — will play a key role in the transition.

That was at the heart of Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s question to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Thursday during the Western Governors’ Association winter meeting in California. Leaders from around the West discussed wildfires, energy, public lands, and collaboration between state and federal governments at the two-day conference.

“We hear reports that as we move to clean energy, and specifically batteries for electric vehicles, that by the year 2025 we’re going to be running short of copper and some of these other critical minerals,” Cox said, noting that many federally recognized critical minerals, including cobalt, lithium and magnesium, are mined in Utah.

“Most of them are on land that is managed by Interior,” Cox, a Republican, said.

He pointed to a meeting earlier in the year with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who “mentioned the importance of those critical minerals and mining in the U.S. And we’d love to hear that same enthusiasm from Interior.”

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/12/10/22826369/utah-spencer-cox-questions-deb-haaland-minerals-biden-electric-vehicle-infrastructure