The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released the names of two recipients receiving a total of $134 million for projects aimed at recovering commercially viable rare earth elements from potentially harmful materials such as mining and electronics waste. DOE officials say the program is intended to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign supplies of rare earth elements.
The program, announced in December 2025, requires recipients to work with an academic partner and provide a 50% cost share.
Colorado School of Mines will collaborate with a consortium of partners, including the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and several private firms, on a project to extract rare earth elements from red mud derived from bauxite mining in Louisiana. The funding supports the design, construction, commissioning and operation of a demonstration facility near the Gramercy alumina refinery in St. John the Baptist Parish.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is partnering with a private firm and the University of Minnesota to develop a demonstration-scale facility that will produce heavy rare earth metals from industrial waste.
Officials say projects that recover rare earth elements from waste streams will help strengthen domestic supply chains and support manufacturers that rely on the minerals.
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