Critical Materials 101: What Is America's Most Critical Material (Text Version)

Below is the transcript for the Critical Materials 101 Video 2: What is America’s Most Critical Material? Learn more about critical materials and minerals.

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Welcome back to Critical Materials 101, a video series breaking down the building blocks of our clean energy future. In this second installment, we investigate what it takes to turn these foundational elements and components into the clean energy technologies needed to reach our goal of achieving a net zero emissions economy by 2050. Looking for more on this topic? Check out Why Clean Energy Matters here: https://www.energy.gov/eere/why-clean-energy-matters Read the text version: https://www.energy.gov/cmm/critical-materials-101-what-americas-most-critical-material-text-version
Video by the U.S. Department of Energy

[Cheerful music plays]

You might have heard recently that critical materials are the building blocks of America’s clean energy revolution.

[Whooshing sounds]

But, how far can we get without people to champion the cause? Without a strong workforce to manufacture these essential components    into technologies, they’ll just remain raw materials.

Over the last few years, the U.S. Department of Energy has invested billions of dollars into researching, developing, demonstrating, and commercializing critical materials-related innovations.

[Popping sounds]

In fact, the Department has been leading the charge on critical materials innovation for over a decade. And at this very moment, the Department is working  to ensure that these investments and this expertise have the biggest impact possible.

But hold on a second…

[Music stops with record scratch; Sound of video tape rewinding]

There’s one major thing missing that’s needed to ensure that all these big ideas actually happen. 

[Exclaims]

People! People, people, people, people, people! We need people, people!

[Rousing uptempo music begins]

To meet America’s clean energy goals like achieving a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050, we need people to power this clean machine.   That’s why we’re investing in education and workforce development. 

Here’s how: We must convene the experts and collaborate with them, support workforce development across the supply chain, and invest in workforce capabilities for today and tomorrow.

Because when we boil it down, America’s most critical material…is you.    

[Dinging sound]

[Uptempo music fades]