The Trump administration announced this week the U.S. government would work to build a $11.7 billion stockpile of critical minerals. Collectively, they’re an admission, however tacit or subconscious, that the future relies on electric technologies, including electric vehicles and wind turbines. In his announcement, Trump alluded to the world’s dependence on China for a slew of critical minerals. The spat also revealed just how integral critical minerals are to modern economies. But the rest of the world is continuing to move toward solar, wind, and batteries, driving up demand for critical minerals.