The legislature finds that while the state is increasingly encouraging new energy storage technologies such as electric vehicles and electric grid scale battery storage, these technologies are dependent on rare earth minerals and difficult-to-source earth components. Current battery production processes can require cobalt, lithium, nickel, manganese, neodymium, iron, copper, aluminum, and phosphate among additional minerals. Thus, by December 31, 2023, the department of commerce shall submit a report to the legislature examining the global availability of lithium and rare earth minerals used in battery manufacturing. The department of commerce may consult the Pacific Northwest national laboratory and the joint center for the deployment and research in earth abundant materials to prepare the report.
The legislature intends to appropriate sufficient moneys to carry out the purposes of this act.