Utah aims to host critical minerals lab, hoping for federal recognition — and funding

By: Alixel Cabrera

Outlets: Utah News Dispatch

Published: March 13, 2026

Words: 732

Last Updated: 1 week, 1 day ago

Body Text Preview

Utah is poised to create new zones to eventually make its goal of capturing 20% to 25% of the country’s critical minerals demand a reality. The state also has its heart set on even extracting minerals from coal or copper mining tailings, and to build a lab where government, industry players and academia can collaborate.

Ogden Republican Sen. Ann Millner, who sponsored a bill the Legislature passed setting the framework to advance mining in …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us