First Annual Critical Minerals Symposium

On September 21st and 22nd, the Colorado School of Mines Payne Institute for Public Policy hosted the first annual Critical Minerals Symposium in Golden, Colorado. The event brought together more than 200 leaders from industry, academia, and government to address a broad range of complex challenges associated with critical minerals.

The event was opened with remarks from Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources Chairman, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Ranking Member, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY).

Symposium attendees participated in a series of solution-oriented panel discussions on geopolitics, sustainable mining, supply chain transparency, permitting, community engagement and workforce, and investments and markets.

“The world is waking up to the reality that global clean energy goals, as well as national security imperatives, require critical minerals and mining,” said Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute for Public Policy. “Meeting that demand will require innovative solutions to complex issues ranging from community engagement and sustainable mining to workforce and geopolitics.”

Following the event, the Payne Institute for Public Policy released its first annual “State of Critical Mineral Report” on the growing demand for critical minerals and their impact on clean energy goals, national security, and communities around the world.