Scientists find huge trove of rare metals for clean energy and electronics inside toxic coal ash. And here I thought that my IronMan triathlon was canceled due to coal ash after a North Carolina hurricane had no upside. WIERRRRD. There’s always something.
Millions of tons of coal ash left over from burning the planet’s dirtiest fossil fuel are sitting in ponds and landfills, able to leach into waterways and pollute soil. But this toxic waste may also be a treasure trove for the rare earth elements needed to propel the world toward clean energy.
Scientists analyzed coal ash from power plants across the United States and found it could contain up to 11 million tons of rare earth elements — nearly eight times the amount the US has in domestic reserves — worth around $8.4 billion, according to recent research led by the University of Texas at Austin.
