An essential objective of the Powder River Basin carbon Ore, rare earth, and critical mineral (CORE-CM) project is to provide an economic benefit to the people who live and work in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana by stimulating new resource development centered around the nation’s largest coal mines. This objective will be accomplished by establishing a strategic plan to maximize the development potential of carbon ore, rare earth elements (REE), and critical minerals, while leveraging the highly trained workforce, existing coal technologies, energy infrastructure, and wide public acceptance of energy technology in the Powder River Basin. Additionally, this project will offer a low-cost pathway to the national security benefits associated with domestic REE, critical mineral, and carbon ore industries. The Powder River Basin CORE-CM project will address all aspects of the CORE-CM value chain and bring together a committed network of stakeholders.

• University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources - Laramie, WY 82071
• Energy Capital Economic Development – Gillette, WY 82718
• Gillette College - Gillette, WY 82718
• Los Alamos National Lab - Los Alamos, NM 87545
• Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology - Billings, MT 59701
   

The Powder River Basin carbon ore, rare earth element, and critical mineral (CORE-CM) project will advance a basin-wide approach to expand and transform the use of coal in the largest coal-producing basin in the United States. The Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana boasts many attributes that make it a compelling location to grow new coal-based industries, including:

• More than 40% of the coal produced in the U.S. comes from the Powder River Basin (eia.gov). 
• The Powder River Basin is home to a robust energy infrastructure, a highly trained mining and energy technology workforce, motivated stakeholders, a supportive regulatory framework, and several existing technology centers and programs that are focused on CORE-CM resource development. An expanded CORE-CM industry will catalyze economic growth in this energy-focused region.
• Because of the high volume of carbon ore that is produced in the Powder River Basin and shipped across the U.S., development of CORE-CM technologies in the Powder River Basin represents an opportunity to increase the domestic supply of rare earth elements and critical minerals and reduce dependence on imports. Thus, the economic benefits of the Powder River Basin coal industry reach far beyond Wyoming and Montana.

The Powder River Basin is home to the Bear Lodge Complex, one of the largest unmined conventional rare earth element deposits in the U.S., providing synergistic opportunities with coal-based rare earth element sources to improve the basin-wide economics of rare earth element processing and production.

Planned research activities include:

1. Assessment of Powder River Basin CORE-CM Resources
2. Development of Strategies for Reuse of Waste Streams
3. Development of Strategies for CORE-CM Infrastructure, Industries, and Businesses
4. Assessment of CORE-CM Technology, Development, and Field Testing
5. Development of Strategies for Technology Innovation Centers
6. Development of Stakeholder Outreach and Education, including Job Creation Outcomes
7. Assessment of Environmental Justice Considerations

The target communities of beneficiaries for this project are the people who live and work in the Powder River Basin and the CORE-CM stakeholders committed to the project. The goal of the project is to promote economic development and job creation in this energy-focused region.

A preliminary assessment of existing basinal infrastructure has been completed. The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources has hosted multiple webinars to address CORE-CM topics and stakeholder engagement is growing.

The project team is working on all tasks concurrently. Resource assessments are being conducted for all potential rare earth element and critical mineral feedstocks, including coal, coal by-products, and traditional rare earth element deposits. Powder River Basin specific waste streams are being inventoried for their potential as CORE-CM resources. A preliminary assessment of existing basinal infrastructure has been completed. Technologies geared toward mining and processing of Powder River Basin coal, coal by-products, and other feedstocks are being evaluated. The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources has hosted multiple webinars to address CORE-CM topics and stakeholder engagement is growing. The first annual stakeholder forum for this project was held August 31-September 1, 2022, in Gillette, Wyoming, with over 70 project partners and stakeholders in attendance.

$2,084,438

$521,282

NETL – Joseph Renk (joseph.renk@netl.doe.gov or 412-386-6406)
University of Wyoming – Erin Phillips, Principal Investigator (ephilli8@uwyo.edu or 307-766-6800)