“Investing in moving cutting-edge mining technologies out of the lab and into the field will help unleash America’s vast mineral resources,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “President Trump is committed to rebuilding America’s mining industry, reducing our dependence on foreign adversaries, and securing the critical minerals that are foundational to our energy, manufacturing, and national security.”

“These investments will prove that American innovation can redefine what’s possible in modern mining,” said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. “By establishing world class testing grounds, we’re accelerating breakthroughs that will strengthen our supply chains, our workforce, and our national competitiveness.”

DOE’s Advanced Mining and Mineral Processing Technologies Office selected the following projects for award negotiations:

Innovative Wireless Technologies, Inc. (HQ: Julian, West Virginia, project locations: Idaho Springs, Colorado, and Blacksburg, Virginia)

• This project aims to create a national testbed to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced mining technologies that enhance safety, productivity, and supply chain resilience. The effort will combine underground and surface mining environments to validate next-generation digital, connectivity, and automation solutions in real-world conditions.

University of Arizona (HQ: Tucson, Arizona, project location: Sahuarita, Arizona)

• The project will create a nationally accessible underground testbed to speed up the development and deployment of advanced mining, electrification, and energy management technologies. This scalable proving ground aims to reduce technical and operational risks while strengthening U.S. critical mineral supply chains through improved productivity, energy efficiency, and faster commercialization.

Curators of the University of Missouri (HQ and project location: Rolla, Missouri)

• This project will create a multi functional mining technology proving ground that combines two complementary facilities for underground technology testing and advanced comminution research. Curators of the University of Missouri will design, build, and equip this national resource to support innovation, real world validation, and workforce development for next generation mining technologies.

Southern Methodist University (HQ: Dallas, TX, project location: Navasota, Texas)

• This project will create the world’s first synthetic mine within an advanced drilling and sensing test facility to accelerate next generation mining technologies from lab concepts to field ready deployment. By repurposing a highly instrumented Texas drilling site, it will enable rigorous, repeatable, and safe testing of mining tools, workflows, and automation systems.

Minerals and mining stakeholders require field sites to test innovative technologies under real-world conditions. These projects will not only develop mining proving grounds but also support R&D projects that accelerate the progression of technologies from laboratories to testing and demonstration in a field-scale setting, an essential step to de-risk commercial adoption. These projects will also create opportunities for hands-on workforce training to prepare the next generation of American miners and engineers to operate advanced mining systems.