The push for renewable energy is ramping up demand for minerals, many of which China controls, and the Wyoming mining industry wants to get in on the action.
Eager to secure a domestic supply of critical minerals for solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles, the federal government is providing loans to companies to help develop domestic supplies.
Now, China is investing in U.S. mining operations, which not only allows the communist nation to maintain global dominance of these critical minerals, it opens up opportunities to get loans from the federal government for their businesses.
Chinese Control
American Military News reports that Lithium Americas, a Canadian-based company, has been winding through the federal permitting process for a lithium mine in the northern part of Nevada, which is home to the only lithium mine now operating in the United States.
The Washington Free Beacon reported last week that the largest shareholder of Lithium Americas is the Chinese mineral giant Ganfeng Lithium.
As is usual, the permitting process has faced stiff opposition from environmental groups, but now Republican lawmakers in Nevada, as well as a U.S. senator, are raising concerns about China being involved in the operation.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, sent a letter to the Department of Energy in September objecting to federal money going to the company, which Cotton said is partially owned by the Chinese Communist Party.
“The letter addresses the significant risks to national security and our supply chain that would arise if federal funding were to deepen Chinese control over America’s critical minerals,” Cotton said in a release about the letter.