The country needs a resilient domestic battery supply chain

"The U.S. currently sources a large portion of its critical minerals supply from foreign entities- a dependency that puts national security, economic competitiveness, and energy transition at risk. To build a stronger, more resilient domestic battery industry, we must understand what's driving demand for critical minerals, how to diversify supply chains, the role of policy, and how innovation is reshaping the landscape. To put this into perspective, for 19 out of 20 strategic critical minerals, China is the leading refiner, with an average market share of approximately 70%."

"Demand for critical minerals doesn't start in the ground; it starts with consumer trends that are transforming the global economy. The fastest-growing consumer markets today share a common dependency: they run on batteries, and batteries run on critical minerals. This challenge is not just the resources; it's the entire supply chain that sources them and converts them into usable inputs."

"Electric vehicles. Transportation electrification remains the most visible and material-intensive driver. Automakers are not simply replacing engines with batteries; they are redesigning mobility around energy storage. From passenger EVs to commercial fleets and heavy-duty applications, the scale is unprecedented. Each step toward electrification accelerates demand for lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese."

"AI infrastructure. The growth of artificial intelligence is deeply physical, requiring rapid expansion of data centers. These facilities depend on batteries for backup power, load balancing, and renewable integration. Data center infrastructure is significantly increasing battery mat"

The United States relies heavily on foreign entities for critical minerals, creating risks to national security, economic competitiveness, and the energy transition. For most strategic critical minerals, China leads refining with a large market share. Demand for critical minerals is driven by consumer and infrastructure trends that increase battery use. Transportation electrification expands lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese demand across passenger vehicles, commercial fleets, and heavy-duty applications. Consumer electronics sustain lithium-ion demand through wearables, smart homes, and always-on connectivity. AI infrastructure increases data center growth, which depends on batteries for backup power, load balancing, and integrating renewables. The entire supply chain must be strengthened, not only the raw resources.

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