Bipartisan House legislation introduced Wednesday aims to track critical minerals as they move through the world’s supply chains.
H.R. 8187, the “Critical Material Transparency and Reporting of Advanced Clean Energy Act,” from Reps. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) and Garret Graves (R-La.), would create a Department of Energy program to develop digital trackers for battery components.
“A well-developed digital battery identifier and set of reporting standards would allow for the smooth transfer of relevant information between various stakeholders, including mining companies, manufacturers, recyclers, consumers, and regulators, while helping meet long-term goals for stable, secure, and ethical battery supply chains,” said Tonko, ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Materials.
Graves noted that the U.S. is almost entirely reliant on foreign sources for critical minerals, with China dominating the battery supply chain despite questionable environmental and labor standards.
