Abstract

Critical minerals are essential for advancing the energy transition. However, the public's perception of these minerals and their application is still not well understood. Here, we investigate public awareness and perceptions of critical minerals in the United States, based on a nationally representative survey of 1200 online respondents. While only 38% of respondents stated familiarity with critical minerals, over 80% recognized the importance of minerals in the energy transition. Participants were most supportive of strategies focused on mineral research and improving the environmental impacts of mining, while domestic mining received less support. Regression analysis shows that individuals who perceive mineral criticality based on their importance to clean energy support multiple mineral policies, whereas those concerned about import dependency or shortages prefer domestic mining. Individuals who believe environmental impacts should govern criticality designation oppose domestic mining and support mineral recycling and improving mining's environmental impacts. These findings highlight the role of differing perceptions of mineral criticality in shaping policy preferences, emphasizing the need for public awareness to foster sustainable mineral strategies for the energy transition.

Department(s)

Economics

Publication Status

Open Access

Comments

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Grant G-2023-20975

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2662-4435

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2025 The Authors, All rights reserved.

Creative Commons Licensing

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Publication Date

01 Dec 2024

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Economics Commons

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