April 21, 2025

Urgent Action on Critical Minerals w/ Former DOE Director, Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes

43 minutes

In this episode, Howard sits down with Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes, former Director of the Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Program at the U.S. Department of Energy, to discuss the evolving landscape of critical minerals and energy policy in the United States. They explore the key differences between the Biden and Trump administrations' approaches to EV batteries and critical minerals, the future of lithium and other essential battery materials, and whether America can remain competitive in a rapidly shifting global market. Ashley shares her insights on how geopolitical tensions, policy instability, and market volatility are impacting investment decisions, and why she remains cautiously optimistic about the potential for building a robust domestic supply chain.

CHAPTERS 📖

(00:00) Guest Background

(04:40) Trump vs. Biden on Energy and Supply Chains

(08:54) Canada-U.S. Dynamics in Critical Minerals

(13:11) Does Trump Care About Battery Materials?

(18:08) The Fate of the EV Tax Credit (30D)

(20:43) Battery Demand and Project Viability

(23:18) EVs as a Strategic Industry Debate

(27:22) Evaluating U.S. Competitiveness in Battery Tech

(29:49) Which Critical Minerals Are Investable?

(32:50) U.S. Lithium Resource Potential and Smackover Basin

(34:36) Status of Government Grants and Loans

(36:05) Early vs. Late Stage Project Funding

(40:06) Federal Land Access for Strategic Development

(41:32) Where To From Here?

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Links 🌍

Ashley on Fastmakrets:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW4lD9blYmM

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqsxvP7__1k

Ashley on Benchmark Minerals:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu83u-CR6co

- https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/video/watch/mesc-grants-boosting-the-us-domestic-battery-supply-chain-panel

RK Equity Website: https://rkequity.com/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rockstockchannel

Podcast:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lithium-ion-rocks/id1457969172

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KiMIZOPaDg8ENfPJMSINq?si=a4ca356c45394648

X (Twitter):

Howard: https://twitter.com/LithiumIonBull

Rodney: https://twitter.com/RodneyHooper13

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DISCLAIMER

NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH

Rodney and Howard are not financial advisors nor broker-dealers, this video is for information purposes only and should not be considered investment or financial advice. Please do your own independent research and read the disclaimer at the end of the video or on RK Equity’s website https://www.rkequity.com

Intro and outro audio credit: Jamie Klein

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