Georgia Partnerships for Essential Minerals (GEMs) Demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements is rapidly increasing as the world accelerates toward clean energy transitions. Concerns about price volatility, supply security, and geopolitics arise as reducing emissions and ensuring resilient and secure energy systems become increasingly crucial. Georgia partnerships for Essential Minerals (GEMs) has developed a series of workshops to address this important topic. GEMs workshops include participants from academia, government, industry, and national labs and are meant to initiate the conversations and build momentum on critical minerals research, from supplies to workforce training and beyond. The inaugural GEMs Workshop was held at the University of Georgia (February 2024) and focused on the critical mineral potential in Georgia’s kaolin mining industry. Additional information and updates on future GEMs workshops can be found at the GEMs website Publications Paul A. Schroeder, W. Crawford Elliott, Yuanzhi Tang, Lee Lemke. Facilitating the Critical Mineral Future: Valorization of Kaolin Mining Waste through Partnerships. GSA Today. 2024, 34, 60-61. (PDF) W. Crawford Elliott, Paul A. Schroeder, Yuanzhi Tang, and Lee Lemke. The Development of Georgia Critical Minerals Partnerships – An example from Kaolin Mining Operations SE USA – A White Paper Report of the First Meeting of Georgia Essential Minerals (GEMS-1). (PDF) Partnership
