Almost $100 Billion Worth of Rare Earth Elements May Be Buried in The US
Government
The waste left over from spent fossil fuel may contain a treasure trove of rare-earth elements worth billions of dollars. In a 2024 paper, geologists calculated that the waste ash from coal burnt in fossil fuel power plants may contain as much as US$165 billion worth of rare earth elements – and up to $97 billion may be feasibly extractable. Working to recover these elements, says a team led by geoscientists at the University of Texas at Austin, could provide the US with a homegrown source of
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