Subcommittee hears industry pitch: AI, modular processing to boost U.S. critical‑minerals supply

WASHINGTON — Industry executives and academics on the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Monday outlined how artificial intelligence and modular processing could accelerate domestic critical‑minerals production and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign processors.

Chair Bruce Westerman opened the hearing, saying Congress must shorten the lengthy timeline to develop new mines — which he said averages 29 years — and adopt both technology and permitting reforms to strengthen the domestic supply chain. Ranking Member Maxine Dexter emphasized that technological gains must not come at the expense of environmental and human‑health protections, saying, "these technological advances are not an excuse to shred environmental and human health protections."

Daniel Donahue, head of growth at Terra AI, described AI models that quickly generate thousands of geological models and, he said, can "vastly speed up exploration" while reducing geologic risk. Donahue testified that AI can reduce exploration false positives that historically approached 90 percent down toward 20–50 percent, which he argued makes early‑stage investment less risky and more attractive.

Mahesh Kunduru, chief executive officer of Momentum Technologies, advocated modular co‑located processing plants that use membrane solvent extraction to separate lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earths from batteries, magnets and mine byproducts. Kunduru said the modular approach can significantly shorten construction timelines — "approximately one year versus three to five years for conventional processing facilities" — reduce transport and community impacts, and requested federal seed funding to de‑risk initial modules so private capital will follow.

Walter Copan of the Colorado School of Mines called for a coordinated national mineral and material strategy rooted in science and sustained R&D. Copan endorsed byproduct recovery and waste reprocessing as some of the "fastest, lowest‑impact pathways" to strengthen domestic supply and urged investments in workforce development, citing the Mining Schools Act as one practical step.

Nicholas Luganski, head of mining at SLB New Energy, urged applying oil‑and‑gas technologies — such as advanced drilling and in situ techniques — to mining to lower capital expenditures for large projects and extend the life of existing operations. He highlighted water‑management tools and centralized treatment as methods to reduce environmental footprints.

Members pressed witnesses on data needs, calling for expanded programs like Earth MRI and standardized publication of drill cores to improve shared geological knowledge. Several members emphasized tailings and legacy waste streams as near‑term sources of recoverable critical materials. Rep. Dexter and others repeatedly raised community protections, including Good Neighbor Agreements, as prerequisites for social acceptance.

No formal votes were taken during the hearing. The subcommittee will hold the record open for written member questions and witness responses through the date specified at the hearing.

The hearing showcased broad interest in deploying technology to secure critical‑minerals supply chains, but it also surfaced a central tension: members across the aisle sought both speed and stronger assurances that innovation would be deployed with environmental safeguards and robust community engagement.