This bill establishes a Critical Materials Processing Technology Testbed, a research facility or network of facilities administered by the Department of Energy to develop and test new ways of processing critical materials like rare earth elements and minerals essential for defense and clean energy. The testbed will focus on innovations that reduce energy use, pollution, water consumption, waste, and costs while improving worker safety and recovery efficiency in materials processing. The Secretary of Energy will run a competitive selection process to choose which National Laboratories, universities, private companies, or collaborative groups will operate the testbed, which can be organized as a single site or multiple locations. The bill authorizes $150 million to establish the testbed in fiscal year 2027 and $25 million annually for fiscal years 2028 through 2031 to operate it, with initial funding for up to five years and the possibility of renewal for additional five-year periods. The testbed will also work to transfer successful technologies to U.S. industry and ensure that intellectual property developed at the facility remains under American control.
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