Highlights

• Wyoming emerges as a rare earth leader with major projects like Brook Mine and Halleck Creek, targeting initial production by 2026.
• Hageman advocates for regulatory reform, reducing bureaucratic barriers to domestic rare earth and energy production.
• The congresswoman emphasizes the importance of skilled workforce development and investment in regional mining and processing capabilities.

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In an energetic and wide-ranging interview (opens in a new tab) on the Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx)™ podcast, U.S. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (opens in a new tab) of Wyoming delivered a powerful case for restoring America’s rare earth independence through homegrown mining, regulatory overhaul, and trade-based education. With deep roots in Wyoming ranching and 34 years of legal practice focused on natural resource law, Hageman offered rare insight into both the promise and the hurdles of America’s rare earth resurgence.

Hageman highlighted Wyoming’s emergence as a rare earth leader, pointing to major projects like Ramaco’s Brook Mine in Sheridan and American Rare Earths’ Halleck Creek near Wheatland. She confirmed that construction of a processing facility at Brook will begin this fall, with initial production slated for 2026 and full output by 2028—potentially yielding 1.7 million tons of rare earth oxides.

Still, she emphasized the steep regulatory terrain: layered federal and state approvals, environmental studies, and local housing and infrastructure planning, particularly in remote rural areas. Drawing on her past legal work, she called for a dramatic rebalancing of the federal bureaucracy’s power over energy and mining permits. “We don’t want to be energy dependent on other countries—we want to produce what we need at home,” she asserted.

Harriet Hageman, JD, (R-WY)

On processing, Hageman described touring sites in Upton and learning firsthand the crushing, separation, and chemical extraction challenges unique to rare earths. She noted Wyoming’s vast coal fields also contain rare earths and urged policymakers to reconsider coal as a future—not past—energy solution. With a nod to China’s processing dominance, she called the MP Materials–Pentagon equity deal a sign of growing seriousness in Washington. Still, she warned, “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

In a call to action for retail investors and policymakers alike, Hageman championed investment in skilled trades and community college programs tailored to regional needs, including welding, diesel mechanics, and mine safety. She praised Wyoming’s growing workforce pipeline but said more high school recruitment is needed.

Hageman also addressed environmental and indigenous concerns, noting new safeguards and highlighting past failures under uranium programs. She argued the “One Big Beautiful Bill” marks a turning point away from “scarcity politics” and toward a future of American abundance. “Prosperity,” she said, “is built on reliable energy, and rare earths are part of that foundation.”

Follow the link to the REEx podcast (opens in a new tab).

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