The 9th  annual National Clean Energy Week featured a deep dive into one of the most urgent challenges in the energy transition: securing reliable, domestic critical mineral supply chains.  

Moderated by Ashley McManus, vice president at Lot Sixteen, the panel brought together leaders from mining, Native corporations, battery manufacturing and metals production to examine how policy, permitting and investment truly can help shape America’s ability to compete. 

McManus opened the discussion by underscoring why critical minerals matter and how crucial they are to clean energy infrastructure and advanced battery manufacturing. Joining her on the panel was Judy Brown of South32, Christina Woolston, CEO of the Old Harbor Native Corporation, Panasonic’s Tina Jefferies, John Simard of the Aluminum Association of Canada and Albemarle’s Alex Stroman. 

The panelists talked about the harsh realities of bringing new projects online and what policies can either accelerate or stall progress. 

Permitting Certainty and Supply Chain Gaps 

Judy Brown of South32 described the company’s Hermosa project in Arizona, one of the most advanced critical mineral developments in the United States. When South32 initially assessed the site, investors doubted it could be permitted in a reasonable timeframe. Entry into the federal FAST-41 program changed that. A projected five-year permitting schedule tightened to two years, providing the predictability needed to sustain investment. 

Brown emphasized that agencies’ disagreements often extend timelines for months or years; FAST-41 helps resolve those bottlenecks. But permitting is just one challenge. While U.S. battery manufacturing is expanding, upstream processing capacity remains thin. For minerals such as manganese—produced at Hermosa—there is no robust market outside China, making it difficult to justify production that must be shipped abroad for processing and then re-imported. She also highlighted the need for judicial reform and stronger workforce pipelines, noting that the United States graduates only about 100 mining engineers annually. 

Native Corporations and Resource Sovereignty 

Christina Woolston, CEO of the Old Harbor Native Corporation, outlined how Alaska Native corporations are leveraging their lands and resources—from gold and copper to antimony, zinc, and graphite—to support economic development across Alaska. With limited transportation and energy infrastructure, investment requires predictable permitting. Alaska became the first state to sign an MOU with the Permitting Council, aligning state and federal processes and increasing investor confidence. 

Woolston also noted the significance of the SPEED Act, which restricts NEPA litigation timelines to 150 days and limits lawsuits to those who participated in public comment. For small Native communities, these protections are essential. She also highlighted innovative opportunities such as domestic pozzolans like volcanic ash that can replace imported concrete additives, as well as ongoing efforts in workforce training and renewable energy development. 

Battery Manufacturing and Processing Bottlenecks 

From the manufacturing side, Panasonic’s Tina Jefferies pointed to the growing intersection of clean energy, EV batteries and AI-driven data center demand. Panasonic operates major battery plants in Nevada and Kansas, and she noted that supply chain challenges increasingly hinge on processing rather than mining. Materials like lithium hydroxide remain constrained by limited refining capacity. 

Jefferies stressed that incentives, not government mandates, are the most effective way to scale recycling and circular supply chains. She identified long-term stability for incentives such as the 45X tax credit as a key enabler for new refining facilities. 

Low-Carbon Metals and North American Competitiveness 

John Simard of the Aluminum Association of Canada explained the essential role of low-carbon aluminum in electrification. Canada’s smelters operate entirely on hydropower, producing some of the world’s cleanest primary aluminum and supplying 90% of exports to the U.S. Even so, workforce shortages and declining U.S. smelting capacity pose challenges. Simard highlighted aluminum’s long-standing circularity—75% of all aluminum ever produced remains in use—but urged better policy coordination to raise U.S. recycling rates. 

Lithium, Pricing, and Processing Capacity 

Rounding out the discussion, Albemarle’s Alex Stroman described the company’s vertically integrated lithium operations, including the United States’ only active lithium mine in Nevada and the recommissioning of the Kings Mountain resource in North Carolina.  

While the U.S. holds strong geological potential, Stroman emphasized that processing capacity, as well as the pricing volatility, is the primary constraint. Lithium’s drop from $80 to $10 per kilogram forced Albemarle to pause a new South Carolina processing plant, illustrating the need for stable, coordinated policy and trade frameworks. 

Conclusion 

Across each panelist, their perspectives brought a similar message: The United States and its allies have the resources, talent and industrial base to lead in critical minerals, but success depends on predictable permitting and modernization, a robust processing infrastructure and workforce investment.