Wyoming’s Brook Mine set to provide both coal and rare earth elements, bolstering U.S. energy independence

• The Brook Mine, Wyoming’s first new coal operation in nearly 50 years, contains a major rare earth deposit – the first such U.S. discovery in over 70 years. These elements are crucial for advanced technologies, including defense systems and renewable energy.
• The mine is a strategic move to counter China’s dominance, which controls nearly 90 percent of global rare earth supply and processing. Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized the need to break this reliance for national security.
• The mine extracts rare earth elements directly from coal, avoiding the radioactive byproducts of traditional mining. Ramaco estimates it could eventually meet 30 percent of the Department of Defense’s magnetic material needs.
• The project has been lauded by Wyoming Republicans and former Sen. Joe Manchin for its role in energy resilience and job creation. It aligns with Trump-era policies favoring fossil fuels and critical mineral production.
• Full production depends on a $533 million processing plant still in development, and skeptics question if the mine can compete with China’s established supply chains. However, Ramaco claims its coal-based method offers cost and safety advantages.

A new mine in Wyoming is poised to transform U.S. energy independence not just by supplying coal, but by extracting rare earth elements critical for advanced technologies, from fighter jets to wind turbines.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright lauded Ramaco Resources’ Brook Mine near Sheridan during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 11. The mine is the Equality State’s first new coal operation in nearly 50 years, and is also the country’s first discovery of a major rare earth deposit in over 70 years.

According to Wright, the project is a pivotal step in breaking America’s reliance on China. Beijing currently controls nearly 90 percent of the global rare earth supply, including processing, and U.S. officials are rushing to address this vulnerability. “China has a purposeful effort to completely control this industry,” the energy secretary said.

The strategic significance of rare earths – 17 metallic elements essential for modern tech and defense systems – cannot be overstated. The Brook Mine offers a solution by extracting rare earth elements directly from coal, a dual-purpose approach that sidesteps the radioactive byproducts plaguing traditional rare earth mining.

Ramaco CEO Randy Atkins confirmed the site could eventually supply 30 percent of the Department of Defense‘s magnetic needs, bolstering national security. Ramaco board member and former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, meanwhile, framed the mine as a win for labor and energy resilience.

“People who hate coal better get on their knees and say a prayer for a coal miner,” he said, underscoring coal’s role in sustaining U.S. infrastructure. Manchin also praised President Donald Trump’s support for coal mining communities.

Will the Brook Mine break Beijing’s grip on rare earth metals for good?

Wyoming’s GOP leaders echoed the sentiment, with Gov. Mark Gordon calling the project a wake-up call after decades of “asleep” dependence on foreign rivals. Sen. Cynthia Lummis and Rep. Harriet Hageman also echoed this decoupling from Beijing’s stranglehold on rare earth metals.

The mine’s approval aligns with the second Trump administration’s push to revive fossil fuels while expanding critical mineral production under recent legislation slashing royalty fees for public-land mining. It contrasts sharply with policies under former President Joe Biden, which feature a strong bias toward renewable energy and mining bans.

Yet challenges persist. Rare earth extraction is notoriously difficult due to scattered deposits, and full-scale production at Brook Mine hinges on a $533 million processing plant still in development. Skeptics question whether the operation can compete with China’s entrenched supply chains.

Ramaco, however, insists its “radioactively cold” coal offers cost and safety advantages. Meanwhile, reporter Ken Sakakibara of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun – who was present at the event – noted how his home country suffered a Chinese embargo on rare earth metals in 2010. (Related: China’s rare earth minerals export ban will collapse the telecom industry and all “green” power, including solar and wind turbines.)

As the Brook Mine gears toward full production in coming months, its success could redefine Wyoming’s energy landscape and America’s geopolitical footing. Whether it delivers on that promise depends on scaling innovation fast enough to outpace China’s grip. For now, Ramaco’s endeavors in the Equality State is putting the U.S. back in the rare earth game.

Visit NewEnergyReport.com for more similar stories.

Watch this Sky News Australia report about how President Trump’s negotiations with China over rare earth metals show their significance.

This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

ClimateDepot.com

CowboyStateDaily.com

BismarckTribune.com

Brighteon.com