Interior Maneuvers

Copper, coal, and more added to critical minerals list

The Department of the Interior has expanded its list of critical minerals to include copper, coal, and more, meaning that they will be eligible for funding and streamlined permitting.

The final version of the U.S. Geological Survey's 2025 Critical Mineral list released Thursday includes 10 new minerals, including metallurgical coal, copper, silver, potash, rhenium, silicon, and lead.

The 2025 List of Critical Minerals has been posted in the Federal Register. The list contains all 50 critical minerals from the 2022 List, plus an additional 10 critical minerals. More information can be found in the Federal Register Notice.

USGS provided technical input to develop the 2025 List of Critical Minerals. As required by the Energy Act of 2020, USGS used an updated methodology to quantify the risks associated with potential supply chain disruptions and recommend mineral commodities for inclusion on the updated 2025 draft List of Critical Minerals. Access the full methodology and technical input for the 2025 List.