Overview
- Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey, published the final 2025 list in the Federal Register, framing it as a data-driven tool for economic and national security.
- Projects tied to listed minerals can qualify for tax credits, consideration for Energy Department loans and grants, and streamlined FAST-41 permitting.
- The update adds copper and metallurgical coal as well as fertilizer inputs phosphate and potash, with uranium, silver, lead, silicon and rhenium also included.
- The roster now totals 60 minerals and is required by the Energy Act of 2020 to be reviewed at least every three years, with officials calling it a dynamic guide.
- Environmental groups objected to the inclusion of metallurgical coal and raised concerns about uranium, while industry and some lawmakers backed additions such as phosphate to protect supply chains for farmers.