This week brought major developments for energy and mineral policy in the United States and globally. On November seventh, the US Geological Survey issued its Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, expanding the roster to sixty minerals in total, including several key additions. Notably, uranium has been reclassified as a critical mineral after previous removal, alongside copper, silver, metallurgical coal, and others. According to the National Law Review, this designation officially recognizes uranium as essential for US economic stability, defense readiness, and supply chain security. The move emphasizes the revival of nuclear energy demand both for power production and for advanced uses like supporting artificial intelligence data centers, which require significant, consistent energy.

By designating uranium as critical, the federal government is set to prioritize domestic uranium mining, enrichment, and conversion. This not only decreases reliance on foreign sources but is expected to accelerate permitting for uranium projects, provide incentives for production, and offer new opportunities for strategic stockpiling. The US Department of Energy played a direct role in supporting this decision, arguing for uranium’s inclusion based on its importance to both energy independence and national security planning. This shift is also likely to influence future federal policies and investments in next-generation reactors and defense infrastructure.

Simultaneously, copper and silver have gained attention for their foundational roles in clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, and defense production, and joining the critical minerals list allows similar access to faster permit paths and targeted funding, NAI500 reports. Metallurgical coal, vital for steelmaking, is another addition, reflecting renewed focus on maintaining resilient supply chains for base industries crucial to infrastructure and manufacturing.

In offshore energy, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced two major offshore lease sales covering the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf. This region possesses almost thirty billion barrels of technically recoverable oil and nearly fifty-five trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The lease sales, scheduled for December, support the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and an executive order to "unleash American energy", using historically low royalty rates to encourage broad industry participation. Certain sensitive regions will remain protected.

Internationally, the United States is intensifying efforts to secure critical mineral partnerships. According to S and P Global, the US signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan this week to jointly develop the Upper Kairakty and North Katpar tungsten mining projects. The joint venture will provide up to fifteen percent of global tungsten output, a material central for military, electronics, and clean energy components. Simultaneously, US officials are advancing an international "critical minerals club" that includes nations such as Japan, Australia, and South Korea to collectively secure mineral supply chains and reduce dependency on China.

The overall pattern this week is clear. The United States is placing a renewed federal focus on domestic and allied mineral supply for energy, industrial resilience, and national security, while increasing cooperation with international partners to mitigate supply vulnerabilities and secure the raw materials required for future technologies and defense. The new USGS critical minerals list and high-profile offshore lease sales demonstrate a coordinated, assertive policy shift toward energy and mineral independence.

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