Indianapolis, Indiana – The Indiana Rare Earth Recovery Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday, November 13, at the Indiana Statehouse to discuss the state’s growing role in the recovery and supply of critical minerals. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET in the House Ways and Means Committee Room, located in Room 404 at 200 W. Washington Street in Indianapolis. Members of the public will be able to follow the session through a livestream available at https://www.youtube.com/live/wXT85lA5nLI?si=reJgjbhBoqQD_6zo.
Formed earlier this year by Executive Order 25-62, the council was established by Governor Mike Braun in April with a mission to lead efforts focused on reclaiming rare earth elements and critical materials from legacy coal byproducts. This initiative represents a forward-looking strategy to transform Indiana’s long-standing coal production infrastructure into a foundation for the state’s future in high-tech material recovery.
Rare earth elements—such as neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium—are essential to manufacturing many of today’s most advanced technologies. They are used in everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to wind turbines and defense systems. However, the global supply of these materials is heavily concentrated in China, which currently dominates production and processing. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the United States remains fully dependent on foreign imports for 12 of the 50 minerals designated as critical to national and economic security.
By forming the Rare Earth Recovery Council, Indiana aims to reduce that dependency and strengthen its own energy and manufacturing sectors. The council’s work will focus on developing methods to extract and reuse rare earth materials from coal ash and other industrial byproducts—resources that are already abundant across the state. This approach could not only supply valuable materials but also contribute to environmental remediation by reprocessing waste from older mining and power generation operations.
Indiana ranks among the top coal-producing states in the country, giving it a strategic advantage in developing recovery techniques for rare earth elements. The state’s combination of industrial expertise, research institutions, and natural resources positions it to become a leader in this emerging field. Officials believe the council’s collaboration with universities, private industry, and federal agencies could lead to both technological innovation and new economic opportunities for local communities.
The November 13 meeting will serve as a key opportunity for council members to outline their goals, review current research efforts, and explore partnerships that can accelerate the recovery of rare earth elements within the state. The discussions are expected to include strategies for scaling up pilot projects and identifying funding sources for long-term development.
As the global demand for clean energy technologies continues to grow, Indiana’s efforts could play an important role in building a more secure and sustainable domestic supply chain for rare earth materials. The work of the Indiana Rare Earth Recovery Council could mark a pivotal step toward ensuring that the nation’s future technological growth is supported by resources recovered right here in the Midwest.
