Critical Minerals Analysis Tools
Welcome to the Payne Institute/Colorado School of Mines Economics Department Critical Minerals Analysis Tools page. This site accesses interactive tools, built based on Mines’ proprietary data sets, to deepen understanding of the global supply/availability and demand outlook for individual critical minerals.
Minerals Reserves and Production Costs
Critical Minerals Demand from Power Model (Under Construction)
Other Critical Minerals Research
THE STATE OF CRITICAL MINERALS REPORT 2024
The Payne Institute for Public Policy and the Colorado School of Mines has released its second annual State of Critical Minerals Report. Building on last year’s report, which provided a comprehensive overview of the supply, demand, technical and political landscape for critical minerals globally, this year’s edition targets the U.S. federal response, while also examining dynamics that will impact the mining industry’s ability to meet the needs for critical minerals that are presented by the global energy transition. Highlights include the vast potential from mining tailings, the steep cost curve for Nickel, new legislation focused on increasing the domestic mining of critical minerals and the U.S. government’s recent $4.9 billion of investments in mining and processing. October 10, 2024.
The Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines Launches a new Research Project with The Rockefeller Foundation to Accelerate Rural Electrification in Zambia 6/10/2026
The Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines Launches a new Research Project with The Rockefeller Foundation to Accelerate Rural Electrification in Zambia
The Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines is pleased to announce a new research project, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation. This twelve-month project will evaluate the role of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) as a critical “base-load” demand driver to improve the commercial viability of rural mini-grids in Zambia in order to deliver reliable, affordable electricity to underserved communities in Zambia. May 10, 2026.
Federal subsidies for coal plants may not save struggling sector, analysts say 6/8/2026
Federal subsidies for coal plants may not save struggling sector, analysts say
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Ian Lange contributed to this article about how coal subsidies are unlikely to reverse decline of sector, and analysts say investments in aging plants is risky. June 8, 2026.
The Critical Minerals Trap Behind Directed-Energy Weapons 6/4/26
The Critical Minerals Trap Behind Directed-Energy Weapons
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, Macdonald Amoah, and Senior Research Fellow Jahara Matisek write about how the Pentagon’s most promising answer to the munitions crisis requires materials controlled by the adversary it is designed to deter. Directed energy weapons (DEWs), high-energy lasers (HELs), and high-power microwaves (HPMs) that promise speed-of-light engagement and costs per shot measured in dollars are marketed as the solution to the broken economics of modern air defense. June 4, 2026.
Why the world needs more copper 6/3/2026
Why the world needs more copper
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian’s recent research on copper is featured in this article about how copper demand is rising faster than the world’s mines can supply it, creating a growing challenge for electrification, industry, and future economic growth. June 3, 2026.
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