(The Center Square) – A recent Trump administration order that seeks to boost critical mineral production could be a boon for Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming, which are home to key critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies, a new report claims.
President Donald Trump in March signed Executive Order 14241, citing the economic and national security benefits of increasing domestic mining of critical minerals.
“The United States possesses vast mineral resources that can create jobs, fuel prosperity, and significantly reduce our reliance on foreign nations,” the order said. “Transportation, infrastructure, defense capabilities, and the next generation of technology rely upon a secure, predictable and affordable supply of minerals.”
The new report, by the Common Sense Institute, a free-enterprise think tank, used econometric modeling to estimate the economic impacts of the new order in the three western states.
“Executive Order 14241 is a catalyst for growth,” said CSI economist Dr. Caitlin McKennie, one of the report’s authors. “It positions mineral rich states to meet America’s clean energy and manufacturing needs while boosting local economies and workforces.”
In Colorado, several proposed projects could be expedited as a result of the order, CSI noted. A single new mining operation in the state’s Uravan Mineral Belt, which is rich in uranium and vanadium, could lead to 3,092 more jobs added to the statewide labor force and a $1.3 billion increase in GDP by 2040.
The report also projects that if the state adds nuclear production to its portfolio, an estimated 37,743 jobs, both directly and indirectly connected to a nuclear facility, would be added to the labor force by 2040.
Copper mining in Arizona also stands to benefit from expedited permitting under the order, according to CSI.
“Regression results indicate that a $1 increase in the global price of copper per pound corresponds to an $11 rise in average weekly wages in copper-producing counties,” the think tank said in its report.
In Wyoming, CSI said it expects that the executive order will “accelerate the development of Wyoming’s rare earth element deposits, advancing U.S. efforts toward mineral independence from China,” as well as benefit the state’s wind energy industry.
The Trump administration last month amended the executive order, directing the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a “mineral” and other federal agencies to prioritize coal leases on some public lands.
Trump’s initial executive order didn’t come without criticism from progressive and environmental groups. The Center for American Progress argues the order paves the way for the administration to “sell off” public lands, catering to mining corporations.
“Trump’s ‘mine everywhere’ executive order targets some of the country’s most sensitive, valuable, and irreplaceable lands,” the left-leaning think tank said. “Putting mining priorities above any other use of public lands threatens some of America’s most treasured assets. The Trump administration’s intentions to expand mining across public lands are out of touch with Americans’ priorities and will sell out national landscapes to advance corporate and billionaire interests.”
