In March, 47G hosted the Strategic Materials Summit at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. The event, presented in collaboration with the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Ames National Laboratory’s Critical Minerals Innovation Hub, the University of Utah, and the Utah Mining Association, focused on strengthening the nation’s national defense and economic independence.
47G is an ecosystem that brings together more than 100 members, aiming to “foster talent, fund entrepreneurship, and fuel innovation” in Utah’s deep tech sector. Its ultimate mission is to “make Utah the nation’s premier ecosystem for aerospace and defense companies.”
Some of its members, for example, include educational institutions like Utah Tech University and Weber State University, government institutions like the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Utah Inland Port Authority, community alliances like the Utah Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (Utah-MEP) and the Women Tech Council. Among the industry participants are battery technology company NexGen Materials and electric aerospace company BETA Technologies, whose ALIA aircraft recently conducted a series of demonstration flights across the state.
Photo Courtesy BETA TECHNOLOGIES
The Strategic Materials Summit arrived at an essential time for the U.S., as the country is working to build domestic supply chains for critical minerals because they are necessary across numerous cutting-edge industries, including powering electric vehicles, storing clean energy, manufacturing semiconductors, and producing aerospace and defense technologies.
In Grid Strategies’ 2023 report, “The Era of Flat Power Demand is Over,” the company estimated that peak electricity demand would increase by 81%, or 38 gigawatts, through 2028. Dr. Brian Steed, executive director of Utah State University’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Air, and Water, explained at the summit what that statistic means for the country, according to TechBuzz.News: “What do we want as a state, as a nation, and globally? One word: More. More energy, more electricity, more minerals, more clean air, more clean water. Demand isn’t going down—it’s going up. That should be a wake-up call. We’re entering a phase where we need more generation and transmission, and if we don’t plan now, we will fall behind.”
Photo Courtesy 47G
Additionally, with the Trump administration declaring a National Energy Emergency in January and highlighting the nation’s reliance on foreign minerals as a national security risk, this summit provided an opportunity for Utahns to discuss the threat facing the country and how the state can lead in the sector moving forward.
Dr. Tom Lograsso, director of the Critical Materials Innovation Hub at Ames National Laboratory, elaborated on the national security threat: “With growing global competition and increasing threats to our energy security, we cannot afford to remain dependent on foreign supply chains. Our ability to lead in advanced manufacturing, defense, and energy technologies depends on securing a resilient, homegrown supply of critical minerals and materials.”
Eric Lyon, CEO of GW Strategies and the author of The Lithium Economy, discussed the specific threat posed by China: “China controls cobalt in Congo, lithium in Zimbabwe, and phosphate in Morocco. Meanwhile, the U.S. is largely absent. They’re playing three-dimensional chess while we’re stuck in 90-day business cycles.” He noted that the country’s plans, particularly its Belt and Road Initiative, which is comprised of global infrastructure projects, are designed to promote its power: “They’re willing to lose money if it means dominating batteries, energy, and global influence. We’re late to the game, and catching up won’t be easy.”
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) elaborated on the importance of building a domestic supply chain in the face of these risks: “We see what happens when we rely on these nations for essential resources: supply chain disruptions, economic vulnerabilities, and national security risks. It’s time to fix that, and Utah is uniquely positioned to lead.”
In February, Sen. Lee, who is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the bipartisan Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), to align the lists of critical materials held by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey. The result will be to “increase transparency within our federal agencies, ensure all of our nation’s critical resources are developed, traded, and produced equally, and strengthen our supply chains,” Sen. Lee explained in the press release. He added at the summit that this was essential for attracting investment to Utah: “Investors need clarity. If we want private investment in domestic production, we need to send a strong signal that the U.S. government is backing these supply chains on national security grounds.”
Photo Courtesy Sen. Mike Lee
Deseret News broke down the opportunity in Utah. In 2023, considering both state policies and mineral deposits, the Fraser Institute ranked Utah as the top location globally for mining investment attractiveness. Plus, the state contains 40 of the 50 minerals considered essential by the U.S. Geological Survey. According to the 2023 Utah Geological Survey, conducted by the Utah Department of Natural Resources, it is the world’s leading producer of beryllium, sourced from Juab County; the only domestic producer of magnesium metal and one of only two states producing lithium, both sourced from the Great Salt Lake; and one of only two domestic producers of tellurium from copper refining, sourced from the Bingham Canyon mine.
Brian Somers, president of the Utah Mining Association, last year noted, “Utah is uniquely positioned to lead in critical mineral production. With unmatched mineral resources and world-class mine operators, this state can become a national hub for innovation in this field.”
At the summit, Dr. Travis Mcling, a directorate fellow at the Idaho National Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, drew attention to the Intermountain Region in particular: “I no longer call it the ‘Saudi Arabia of critical minerals’—it’s not accurate. Instead, we are the Unknown West of critical minerals. The resources we need to secure our supply chains are all around us.” Having the resources is only the first step, though. Mcling noted that the U.S. cannot afford to delay action, with regulatory changes as an essential component: “By 2050, just to meet global copper demand, we will need to open a new medium-sized mine every year for the next 14 years. That’s nearly impossible under our current regulatory environment.”
Deseret News also points out the vital role of public-private collaboration in the state on technological developments and sourcing techniques. Universities and government departments work with corporations such as Rio Tinto, which sources copper from its Kennecott mine, Ivanhoe Electric, which sources copper, gold, and silver from its Tintic mine, and Energy Fuels, which sources uranium from its White Mesa mill.
Photo Courtesy Rio Tinto
