Almost $100 Billion Worth of Rare Earth Elements May Be Buried in The US

The waste left over from spent fossil fuel may contain a treasure trove of rare-earth elements worth billions of dollars.

In a 2024 paper, geologists calculated that the waste ash from coal burnt in fossil fuel power plants may contain as much as US$165 billion worth of rare earth elements – and up to $97 billion may be feasibly extractable.

Working to recover these elements, says a team led by geoscientists at the University of Texas at Austin, could provide the US with a homegrown source of these critical elements without the hard work of mining or dependence on imports, which currently supply the majority of the country's rare-earth materials.

"This really exemplifies the 'trash to treasure' mantra," says geologist Bridget Scanlon of the Jackson School of Geosciences. "We're basi