The U.S. government allocated significant funds to bolster domestic mining and metal refining. Initiatives include creating a nickel processing plant in Beulah, ND, transforming a former coal mine. The Department of Energy awarded a $114 million grant for the project, which aims to support electric car battery production. Teslas have contracted for nickel from the facility, emphasizing nickel's strategic value. Additionally, $20 million in Pentagon funds are committed to support mineral exploration. Such investments aim to diversify local economies and secure essential resources for advanced technological needs.
"Basically when you put all your eggs in one basket and something changes, it makes it difficult for your community to thrive and continue to grow," said Beaver Brinkman, Beulah's Economic Development and Operations Director.
"What the Pentagon's trying to do is to lock in and preserve these raw materials for the highly sophisticated technologically advanced warfare that the United States wields today," said retired four-star Marine General John Allen.
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