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Trump Administration Launches ‘Project Vault’

William Attardi on February 5, 2026

The Responsible Battery Coalition (RBC) welcomed the Trump Administration’s launch of “Project Vault,” a major new initiative established with the Export-Import Bank of the United States to create a strategic critical minerals stockpile designed to protect American manufacturers — including the U.S. battery industry — from global supply disruptions. Batteries are essential to nearly every aspect of American life and national security. Project Vault will provide a new mechanism to procure and store strategically important minerals used in batteries and other advanced technologies, such as lead, antimony, cobalt, graphite, silicon, copper, and nickel. Project Vault will help ensure manufacturers have reliable access to key inputs even during periods of volatility or geopolitical pressure. Trump Administration Launches ‘Project Vault’ – electrifiED

NAED Attends “Unleashing Alaska”

William Attardi on November 7, 2025

The event titled “Unleashing Alaska,” touched on recent Trump Administration efforts to unleash vast oil, gas, and mineral extraction in the state, and forward-looking efforts to craft durable policy by codifying permitting reform through efforts like the SPEED Act, which NAED supports. According to Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), today’s permitting bottlenecks have been estimated to delay $1.5 trillion in projects that are awaiting final approval.  Further, these delays are responsible for a 30% increase in construction costs for developments and $140 billion in lost annual revenue. These efforts, combined with broad-based permitting reform, have the potential to have significant impacts on America’s capacity to extract more oil, natural gas, and minerals in the future. NAED Attends “Unleashing Alaska” – electrifiED

AI Turbocharges US Hunt for Minerals, Fossil Fuels by Ian M. Stevenson, Hannah Northey

William Attardi on June 6, 2025

Federal agencies and oil companies are using artificial intelligence to map mineral deposits and assess drilling and mining opportunities. Just as fracking opened up new deposits of oil and gas, AI is turbocharging the hunt for fossil fuels and minerals, helping energy companies quickly map and find new areas to drill and mine. The fast-moving technology can speed through massive datasets used in the energy industry much quicker than earlier methods, potentially allowing for faster examinations of new areas and quicker build-outs of new wells, experts told POLITICO’s E&E News. AI is also super-charging the mapping of the United States’ mineral resources — from the arid West to ocean bottoms — not to mention geothermal and environmental monitoring. AI turbocharges US hunt for minerals,fossil fuels – E&E News by POLITICO

US, Saudi Arabia Agree on Energy & Critical Mineral Deals

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

The MOU also highlights the intent to collaborate in various fields including petroleum refining and refined products trading, electricity generation technologies and energy storage systems, and artificial intelligence projects to accelerate deployment of energy-driven innovations. The two sides also outlined areas for cooperation on civil nuclear energy, including safety, security, and nonproliferation programs; vocational training and workforce development; U.S. Generation III+ advanced large reactor technologies and small modular reactors; uranium exploration, mining, and milling; and safe and secure nuclear waste disposal.  The signings coincided with President Trump’s announcement that he secured a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia.  US, Saudi Arabia Agree on Energy & Critical Mineral Deals – electrifiED

Energy Storage Industry Commits $100B to American-Made Grid Batteries

William Attardi on May 2, 2025

On April 29th, the American Clean Power Association (ACP), on behalf of the U.S. energy storage industry, announced a historic commitment to invest $100 billion into building and buying American-made grid batteries. This investment is expected to fuel the creation of 350,000 jobsacross the battery energy storage industry and transform the United States into a global battery manufacturing leader.  This announcement aligns with actions taken by the Trump Administration to unleash American energy and develop critical minerals in the United States. The industry’s investment will advance a manufacturing expansion in the United States with the aim of enabling American-made batteries to meet 100% of domestic energy storage project demand. Energy Storage Industry Commits $100B to American-Made Grid Batteries – electrifiED

 

What Are Stablecoins and How Do They Work?

Stablecoins are less volatile than other cryptocurrencies (like Bitcoin) and due to crypto assets’ inherent instability, stablecoins are growing in popularity with both crypto and traditional markets. Stablecoins are a type of crypto asset, but one that offers a way to bridge the gap between fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar and cryptocurrencies. Because they are price-stable digital assets that behave like fiat but maintain the mobility and utility of cryptocurrency, stablecoins are a novel solution to crypto volatility: price stability is built directly into the assets themselves.  There are four primary stablecoin types, identifiable by their underlying collateral structure: fiat-backed, crypto-backed, commodity-backed, and algorithmic stablecoins.  What Are Stablecoins and How Do They Work? | Gemini