Menu
Washington, DC – Today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released the 2025 list of Critical Minerals. Mike Carr, Executive Director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition, released the following statement:
“The SEMA Coalition is excited to see USGS’ addition of silicon and continued inclusion of tellurium on the 2025 List of Critical Minerals. These designations recognize the essential role both materials play in building and sustaining a resilient American solar manufacturing supply chain.
Silicon is the foundational building block of most solar technologies, including polysilicon and next-generation silicon wafers used in solar cells and modules. Ensuring a stable, secure supply of this material is critical to scaling domestic solar production and reducing dependence on foreign adversaries.
Tellurium, a key input in cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar technology, is another material of strategic importance. The U.S. leads the world in CdTe innovation and manufacturing, and this continued recognition will help strengthen domestic supply chains for tellurium refining and recovery, supporting growth of American solar manufacturing and innovation.
Together, these inclusions signal the administration’s recognition that energy security depends on the strength and resilience of the entire supply chain, from raw materials to finished solar modules. We look forward to working to ensure these critical designations translate into meaningful policy tools that accelerate domestic production, create American jobs, and bolster American energy dominance.”
