Peter Cook

Jan 15, 2025 | breakthroughjournal.org | Seaver T. Wang |Peter Cook

By Seaver Wang and Peter CookThe year 2032 is now the earliest date by which a U.S. president might next secure re-election to a consecutive second term of office. This rubber-banding poses challenges for efforts to craft durable strategic policies, particularly for complex industries like critical minerals and metals. On one hand, critical minerals security has strong enough bipartisan support to enable some continuity throughout—and beyond—the incoming Trump administration.

Jan 14, 2025 | thebreakthrough.org | Peter Cook |Seaver T. Wang

Among the many recent and past critical minerals policy proposals introduced over the past couple years, which might a new Congress prioritize? China’s recent export restrictions on germanium, gallium, and antimony to the U.S. pose a clear reminder of domestic critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities. Yet, efforts to strengthen those supply chains will remain incoherent if policymakers keep pursuing only sporadic, disconnected initiatives.

Dec 5, 2024 | breakthroughjournal.org | Seaver T. Wang |Peter Cook |Lauren Teixeira |late October

By Seaver Wang, Peter Cook, and Lauren TeixeiraFollowing the Biden administration’s recent expansion of restrictions on the sale of advanced semiconductor chip and manufacturing technologies to China, Chinese policymakers have responded rapidly by restricting exports of the critical minerals germanium, gallium, and antimony to the United States. Other new provisions, whose specifics remain unclear at the time of writing, may target additional materials like tungsten and graphite.

Sep 26, 2024 | thebreakthrough.org | Peter Cook |Seaver T. Wang

Environmental reformers in Congress and the Biden administration seem to think that giving federal agencies greater discretion to block mining projects is somehow good for the nation’s critical mineral strategy. Recent draft bills, regulatory rule makings, and agency reports have repeatedly proposed changes to allow permitting agencies to deny mine permits or prohibit mining on federal lands based on a variety of vague criteria with wide latitude for interpretation.

Sep 24, 2024 | thebreakthrough.org | Seaver T. Wang |Peter Cook |Juzel Lloyd

Executive SummaryCurrently, the United States seeks to strike a difficult balance between competing for the leading edge of advanced energy technologies like batteries and solar photovoltaics and protecting those industries from vulnerable overdependence on imports of key raw materials and components.