Amid Trump-led push for energy independence, U.S. opens first rare earth mine in DECADES
The opening of a new rare earth mine in Wyoming sets the U.S. on a path to catch up with China on mining critical elements needed for many types of production
by Summer Lane | July 11, 2025
Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, America is reaching new heights of manufacturing and production, and an exciting development in the realm of energy independence seems to prove that this administration is headed in the right direction.
On Friday, a rare earth mine in Wyoming is set to open, marking the first mine of its kind in the United States in over 70 years.
The Brook Mine Carbon Ore Rare Earth project will open during an event called “American Independence: A Rare Earth Revolution,” in Ranchester, Wyoming.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is slated to attend, according to a press release from Ramaco Rare Earth.
“This is more than a ribbon cutting — it’s a declaration of America’s resolve to reclaim its leadership in critical minerals and energy independence,” said Ramaco Resources Chairman and CEO Randall W. Atkins in an official statement.
Atkins said this new mine will be able to supply energy for the United States for “many decades to come,” noting critical materials associated with coal mining will allow the U.S. to be more competitive with China.
“China may now be dominating these critical materials. But this will be America’s rare earth mine,” he said.
According to Fox News, the U.S. will nab six of the 17 rare earth elements “used in everything from war planes to semiconductors and powerful magnets and even things that go into our cellphones.”
For years, China has largely dominated the market on rare earth minerals, with around 70 percent of the global rare earth mining happening within its borders, per CNBC.
If the United States is able to catch up with China’s aggressive and dominant rare earth mining capacity, it would enhance America’s ability to break its dependence on foreign forces for these critical elements.
Photo: Pixabay
