Energy Minerals Observatory: The Data Deficits in Critical Supply Chains - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica introduces the Energy Minerals Observatory, a new initiative by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) aimed at addressing significant data gaps in critical minerals supply chains essential for energy technologies. Critical minerals like copper, cobalt, and silicon are vital for clean energy but suffer from less transparent markets compared to mature energy sectors such as oil and coal. The Observatory plans to enhance data collection and analysis, including field studies on minerals like graphite, vanadium, and zirconium in 2026. The article highlights that both supply- and demand-side data deficiencies hinder accurate price discovery, market analysis, and forecasting for these minerals. On the supply side, the article points out several challenges: timely and regularly updated data on reserves and production are scarce due to underreporting, proprietary data, and inconsistent reporting standards. Unlike oil and gas, critical minerals lack established global price benchmarks, and production costs vary widely due to geographic, environmental, and operational factors. Long development timelines for mining projects