Renewables

RENEWABLES

In her book Braiding Sweetgrass, Native American author Robin Wall Kimmerer writes of the “Honorable Harvest” as a means of maintaining a habitable Earth for future generations. Discussing energy, she reflects that “[it] does not mean we can’t consume the energy we need, but it does mean that we honorably take only what is given. The wind blows every day, every day the sun shines, every day the waves roll against the shore, and the Earth is warm below us. We can understand these renewable sources of energy as given to us, since they are the sources that have powered life on the planet for as long as there has been a planet. We need not destroy the Earth to make use of them. Solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal energy – the so-called “clean energy” harvests – when they are wisely used, seem to me to be consistent with the ancient rules of the Honorable Harvest.”

CREDIT: Chartr

CURRENT NEWS

There’s a Vast Source of Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet. And a Race to Tap It.

By Brad Plumer 08/28/23
In a sagebrush valley full of wind turbines and solar panels in western Utah, Tim Latimer gazed up at a very different device he believes could be just as powerful for fighting climate change —…
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The Clean Energy Future Is Roiling Both Friends and Foes

By Jim Tankersley, Brad Plumer and Others 08/16/23
If there is anywhere in the country primed to welcome the clean energy transition, it is Penobscot Bay in Maine. Electricity prices there are high and volatile. The ocean waters are warming fast, threatening the…
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New York must triple its renewable capacity in eight years to meet 2030 target: state comptroller

By Emma Penrod 08/02/23
In order to procure 70% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030, New York must add 20 GW over the next eight years, according to an Aug. 1 report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
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A Bottleneck on the Grid Threatens Clean Energy. New Rules Aim to Help.

By Brad Plumer 07/27/23
Federal regulators on Thursday approved new rules to speed up the process for connecting wind and solar projects to the electric grid, in an attempt to reduce the growing delays that have become one of…
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Opinion: Renewables are saving Texas. Again. So give them their due

By Catherine Rampell 07/04/23
This summer, like last summer, Texas has battled a brutal heat wave that regularly reaches triple-digit temperatures. This summer, like last summer, the heat wave triggered record levels of energy demand. This summer, like last…
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Even in Texas, You Can’t Stop the Green Revolution

By David Wallace-Wells 06/14/23
Over the past few weeks, a once unthinkable parable about the green transition has played out in Texas, the very picture of a recalcitrant red state soaked with fossil fuel. Legislators friendly to the oil…
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Flood of US Renewable Projects Risks ‘Breaking’ Power Markets

By Naureen S Malik 06/08/23
The potential for a flood of US renewable projects driven by new tax incentives is at risk of “breaking” power markets by pushing electricity prices to negative levels, according to Wells Fargo.
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Texas power struggle: How the nation’s top wind power state turned against renewable energy.

By Emily Foxhall and Others 05/25/23
State lawmakers have pushed bills to support fossil fuel-burning power plants and restrict renewable energy development this legislative session.
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Biden administration advances two renewable energy transmission projects in Nevada

By Zack Budryk 05/25/23
The Interior Department on Thursday announced the advancement of two new proposed renewable energy transmission projects in Nevada, which are collectively projected togenerate about 8 gigawatts.
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New green energy surges past coal in China

By Xuyang Dong 05/24/23
In the global race to decarbonize and meet growing energy demand, China is setting the pace for solar, wind and EVs. Renewable energy is now leading China’s newly added power capacity for the first time,…
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Idle Oil Wells’ Next Act? Becoming Batteries for Renewable Energy

By Coco Liu 05/05/23
The fan club for abandoned oil and gas wells is an exceedingly small one, but Kemp Gregory might just be the president. Where others see an eyesore or a source of rogue methane emissions, Gregory…
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KEY RESOURCES

Opposition to Renewable Energy Facilities in the United States: May 2023 EditionMay 2023 Editi

05/01/23
Achieving lower carbon emissions in the United States will require developing a very large number of wind, solar, and other renewable energy facilities, as well as associated storage, distribution, and transmission infrastructure, at an unprecedented…

Renewable energy use is up sharply in Illinois and slightly in Missouri

04/03/23
Generation of renewable energy surged in many U.S. states last year with a major jump in Illinois and a minor increase in Missouri, according to a new report by a nonpartisan research group. Nationally, renewable…

Renewables will be world’s top electricity source within three years, IEA data reveals

02/08/23
Renewables will cover almost all of global electricity demand growth out to 2025, becoming the world’s top source of electricity within three years, new figures reveal. Carbon Brief analysis of figures in the International Energy…

Global Electricity Review 2022

03/30/22
Wind and solar, the fastest growing sources of electricity, reach a record ten percent of global electricity in 2021; all clean power is now 38% of supply. But demand growth rebounded, leading to a record…

EIA adds new forecasts of renewable diesel and other biofuels to Short-Term Energy Outlook

02/28/22
In our February Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), we introduced new forecasts of U.S. production, consumption, and the net of imports less exports of biodiesel, renewable diesel, and other biofuels in the United States. This new…

Clean Edge

06/15/21
Clean Edge, Inc. is a developer and publisher of thematic stock indexes tracking clean energy, transportation, water, and the grid...

EIA forecasts renewables will be fastest growing source of electricity generation

11/27/20
EIA expects non-hydroelectric renewable energy resources such as solar and wind will be the fastest growing source of U.S. electricity generation for at least the next two years. EIA’s January 2019 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO)…

U.S. renewable electricity generation has doubled since 2008

08/14/20
Renewable generation provided a new record of 742 million megawatthours (MWh) of electricity in 2018, nearly double the 382 million MWh produced in 2008. Renewables provided 17.6% of electricity generation in the United States in…

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

07/07/20
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and…

Renewable Energy

04/22/20
Renewable energy is derived from resources that are replenished naturally on a human timescale. Such resources include biomass, geothermal heat, sunlight, water, and wind. All of these sources have their strengths and weaknesses. Some are…

Renewable Energy

04/22/20
Renewables made up more than 17 percent of net U.S. electricity generation in 2018, with the bulk coming from hydropower (7.0 percent) and wind power (6.6 percent).

Renewable Energy: The Clean Facts

04/22/20
Wind and solar are powering a clean energy revolution. Here’s what you need to know about renewables and how you can help make an impact at home.

Renewable energy explained

04/22/20
The consumption of biofuels and other nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources in the United States more than doubled from 2000 to 2018, mainly because of state and federal government requirements and incentives to use renewable energy.…

MORE NEWS

Staggering Boom in Renewables Seen in US by 2030, BNEF Predicts

By Josh Saul   04/24/23  
The US will add enough solar and wind energy over the next seven years to power more than 100 million homes if challenges connecting projects to electric grids don’t get in the way, according to…
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G7 vows more effort on renewables but sets no coal phaseout deadline

By Eddy Wax   04/16/23  
The Group of Seven richest countries set higher 2030 targets for generating renewable energy, amid an energy crisis provoked by Russia's war on Ukraine, but they set no deadline to phase out coal-fired power plants.
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Global Electricity Review 2023

By Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka   04/12/23  
The report analyses electricity data from 78 countries representing 93% of global electricity demand and includes estimated changes in the remaining generation. It also dives deeper into the top ten CO2 emitting countries and regions,…
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Charged up: US renewables produced more electricity than coal in 2022

03/29/23  
Electricity generated from renewable sources — wind, hydro, solar, geothermal and biomass — surpassed coal for the first time ever in the US last year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced on Monday. Clearly, things…
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Energy agency chief warns transition to renewables is way off track, issues warning on stranded assets

By Sam Meredith   03/28/23  
The global energy transition is off track to prevent the worst impact of the climate emergency, according to the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency, and a fundamental course correction is required to successfully…
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Report: Renewable energy growth falls short of climate goal

03/28/23  
Deployment of new wind and solar power plants needs to be drastically ramped up by the end of the decade to meet the world’s climate goals, the International Renewable Energy Agency said Tuesday. In an…
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Global energy transition investments must quadruple to $5T to reach climate targets: IRENA

By Diana DiGangi   03/28/23  
The energy transition needs a “fundamental course correction” to reach the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming under a 2°C increase, including a quadrupling of investments and 1,000 GW deployed per year, says an…
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Investments in renewable energies must quadruple to meet climate target -IRENA

03/28/23  
Global investments in energy transition technologies must more than quadruple annually to stay in line with commitments made under the Paris climate accord, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Investments in renewable energy technologies reached…
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Renewably Generated Electricity Surpasses Coal for the First Time in the U.S.

By Angely Mercado   03/27/23  
Electricity generated from renewable energy sources surpassed electricity created by coal for the first time ever in the U.S. in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced yesterday.
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These states punch above their weight in renewable energy generation

By Dan Gearino   03/16/23  
It’s not surprising that gigantic states like Texas and California are heavy hitters in generating some of the most electricity from wind and solar. But what if we look at generation per square mile of…
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The state that generates much more renewable energy than any other

By Dan Gearino   03/09/23  
Here’s a state-by-state tally of the leaders and laggards for wind, solar and other renewable energy in 2022.
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Engineers invent genius battery solution for storing solar and wind energy without lithium: ‘The first in the world to do something like this’

By Kecia Bal   03/04/23  
Providing energy year-round has so far presented one of green power’s most insurmountable challenges — but now the world’s first fully functional sand battery, which can store green power for months, could present a valuable…
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“It’s almost like a cult.” Activists shout down rural renewable energy projects

By Peter Sinclair   02/28/23  
Officials and farmers report threats and intimidation in small Midwest communities that are considering solar and wind farms.
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As oil companies stay lean, workers move to renewable energy

By Clifford Krauss   02/27/23  
Solar, wind, geothermal, battery and other alternative-energy businesses are adding workers from fossil fuel companies, where employment has fallen....
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The U.S. Has Billions for Wind and Solar Projects. Good Luck Plugging Them In.

By Brad Plumer   02/23/23  
Plans to install 3,000 acres of solar panels in Kentucky and Virginia are delayed for years. Wind farms in Minnesota and North Dakota have been abruptly canceled. And programs to encourage Massachusetts and Maine residents…
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Which state is winning at renewable energy production?

By Karin Kirk   02/23/23  
Electricity is changing. As states like Minnesota commit to 100% carbon-free electric power, Montana is opting to double down on coal. Some of these developments make headlines, while others go unnoticed – though they’re no…
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China’s Renewable Energy Capacity Overtakes Coal for First Time

By Zhao Xuan and Ward Zhou   02/15/23  
China's renewable energy generation capacity edged out coal power capacity for the first time last year, with new solar driving the electricity sector’s efforts to reach ambitious national carbon emissions goals even as the removal…
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We have the technology to fix the climate.

By Mark Z. Jacobson   02/07/23  
Wind, water and solar energy is cheap, effective and green. We don’t need experimental or risky energy sources to save our planetNearly 7 million people die each year from air pollution. Moreover, global warming is…
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Oil and Gas Technology and Geothermal Energy Development

01/31/23  
The U.S. energy industry is undergoing a decades-long transition that includes increased
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Renewable energy farms outstrip 99% of coal plants economically

By Oliver Milman   01/30/23  
It is cheaper to build solar panels or cluster of wind turbines and connect them to the grid than to keep operating coal plants.
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New Wind and Solar Are Cheaper Than the Costs to Operate All But One Coal-Fired Power Plant in the United States

By Dan Gearino   01/30/23  
A coal-fired plant near Gillette, Wyoming stands alone in the nation on one measure of economic viability—a positive distinction for that plant, but a damning one for coal-fired electricity in general. Dry Fork Station, with…
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Clean energy is taking over the Texas grid. State officials are trying to stop it.

By Umair Irfan   01/30/23  
Clean energy is rapidly rising on the Texas power grid, but regulators in the Lone Star State are now considering a plan that could give fossil fuels a boost.
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The Coal Cost Crossover 3.0

01/28/23  
The cost of running existing coal power plants in the United States continues rising while new wind and solar costs keep falling. Our first Coal Cost Crossover report (2019) found 62 percent of U.S. coal…
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DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy FY2023 Appropriations

01/27/23  
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is .....
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Clean energy sets $1.1 trillion record that’s bound to be broken

By Nathaniel Bullard   01/26/23  
It was a banner year for money spent on solar and wind projects, EVs and more in 2022. The way things are going, that level of investment will quickly be eclipsed.
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States Reimagine Power Grids for Wind and Solar Future

By Alex Brown   01/25/23  
For years, many states have set ambitious goals and incentives to promote renewable electricity projects. Now, more of those states are turning their attention to the transmission lines, substations and transformers needed to get that…
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Renewables Projected to Soon Be One-Fourth of US Electricity Generation. Really Soon – Inside Climate News

By Dan Gearino   01/19/23  
Renewable energy is poised to reach a milestone as a new government report projects that wind, solar and other renewable sources will exceed one-fourth of the country’s electricity generation for the first time, in 2024.…
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Winter Blackouts Highlight Need for Clean Energy

By Michael R. Bloomberg   01/19/23  
Restricting Americans’ access to solar-powered electricity is an expensive, and dangerous, proposition in our changing climate.
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Sweden Says It Has Uncovered a Rare Earth Bonanza

By Stanley Reed   01/13/23  
A Swedish mining company said this week that it had found Europe’s largest known deposit of coveted rare earth metals, critical to many green technologies including electric vehicles, in a far northern part of the…
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A new tool helps map out where to develop clean energy infrastructure

By Marguerite Huber   01/10/23  
The Geospatial Energy Mapper is an interactive online mapping tool that can help identify areas across the country that are suitable for wind, solar, and other clean energy infrastructure projects.
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Analysis Shows U.S. Wind and Solar Could Outpace Coal and Nuclear Power in 2023

By Jake Johnson   01/08/23  
A new analysis of federal data shows that wind and solar alone could generate more electricity in the United States than nuclear and coal over the coming year, critical progress toward reducing the country's reliance…
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Global Energy Crisis Triggered Renewables Momentum—Let’s Keep It Going

By Sami Grover   12/19/22  
Back in the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we witnessed in some European circles a resurgence of calls for fracking fossil fuel exploration—with Liz Truss’ brief tenure as the U.K. Prime Minister leading…
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Renewables to overtake coal as world’s top energy source by 2025, IEA says

By Rachel Pannett   12/12/22  
The global energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine has sped up existing growth in renewables, particularly solar power, a new report says....
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Coal was the largest source of electricity generation for 15 states in 2021

12/07/22  
In 15 U.S. states last year, coal was used to generate electricity more than any other energy source. Twenty years earlier, in 2001, coal was the largest source of electricity generation in 32 states. The…
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One Man’s Determined Fight for Solar Power in Rural Ohio

By Dan Gearino   11/29/22  
When Michael Wildermuth was growing up here, the snow sometimes had black specks in it because of pollution from the city’s heavy industry.
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Once Cheap, Wind and Solar Prices Are Up 34%. What’s the Outlook?

By Dan Gearino   10/20/22  
Early last year, I thought the increase in wind and solar power prices was a blip. After all, one of the constants in my decade-plus covering energy was that wind and solar prices were in…
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Green energy projects face stark environmental, local opposition nationwide

By Thomas Catenacci   10/17/22  
International Climate Science Coalition Executive Director Tom Harris discusses how he was once a climate alarmist but now sees it as a scam on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
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Greece’s entire electrical grid ran on 100% renewables for the first time

By Bill Chappell   10/13/22  
Renewable energy sources covered Greece's electricity demands for about five hours last Friday, the Independent Power Transmission Operator, or IPTO, said. Renewables also posted a new record that day, reaching a peak of 3,106 megawatt…
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Can renewables solve the inflation crisis?

By Dave Keating   10/12/22  
Rising energy costs have been the main cause of rising inflation worldwide. Experts say the low-carbon energy transition could bring inflation down.
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The new hurricane resiliency: being off the grid

By Niala Boodhoo   10/11/22  
More than 4 million Floridians lost power after Hurricane Ian. But not communities like Babcock Ranch, a Southwest Florida development that bills itself as America’s “first solar-powered town.”
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Babcock Ranch: Solar-powered “hurricane-proof” town takes direct hit from Hurricane Ian, never loses electricity

10/09/22  
While hard-hit Fort Myers, Florida, continues its recovery from Hurricane Ian, some hope can be found 12 miles to the northeast at the planned community of Babcock Ranch. That's where Syd Kitson and his partners…
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Global rise in electricity demand met entirely with renewables, report finds

By E&T Editorial Staff   10/05/22  
The rise in wind and solar generation met over three-quarters of the demand growth in the first half of 2022, while hydro met the remainder, preventing a possible 4 per cent increase in fossil generation…
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Clean energy projects surge after climate bill passage

By Jack Ewing and Ivan Penn   09/07/22  
Investments in battery factories, solar panel manufacturing and mining will help the Biden administration meet targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
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Negative Power Prices? Blame the US Grid for Stranding Renewable Energy

By Naureen S Malik   08/30/22  
As energy costs soar around the world, a curious thing is happening with increasing frequency in power grids in certain corners of the US: Prices are plunging below zero.
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Chart: America’s surge of spending on clean energy

By Ben Geman   08/23/22  
A new report from the think tank RMI has a banger of a graphic that puts new and recent energy laws into historical context.
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Rising fuel prices, Inflation Reduction Act incentives likely to spur rapid renewable energy growth: S&P

By Emma Penrod   08/18/22  
The U.S is now on track to source 62% of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040 thanks to recent state policy developments and the rising cost of fossil fuels, especially natural gas, according to…
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Adding it Up: Groundbreaking Federal Investments into Clean Energy Innovation

By Nicholas Montoni   08/18/22  
In the last year, three pieces of legislation have become law (or are poised to soon) that advance clean energy programs and provide funding to get the job done Total clean energy funding contained in…
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Renewables will total 22 percent of U.S. electricity generation in 2022, says government

By Zack Budryk   08/17/22  
Renewable energy will comprise nearly a quarter of electricity generated in the U.S. this year, according to projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The number represents an increase from 2020 and 2021, both…
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Renewable Energy, Electrification Big Winners in Inflation Reduction Act

By Darrell Proctor   08/12/22  
The U.S. House on Aug. 12 passed a bill with major implications for the power generation industry, joining the U.S. Senate in supporting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The bill, which now heads to President…
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Rare earth minerals essential to renewable energy not as rare as advertised

By Scott Weiser   08/11/22  
The confluence of the need for renewable energy with China’s dominance in the "rare earth minerals market" puts America’s supply chains for these essential components in a precarious position, say extraction and refining executives in…
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