Salt Lake City · November 4, 2026
Gov. Cox: ‘We must build’ — Utah pushes new era of critical minerals
Gov. Spencer Cox returned to a three-word challenge—“We must build”—at the Utah Mining Association’s 111th Annual Convention and the inaugural Intermountain Critical Minerals Summit at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Nov. 4, 2026, the Deseret News reported.
“You cannot build a modern electrical grid, advanced aerospace manufacturing, or a resilient domestic economy out of thin air,” Cox said, according to Deseret News. “And most importantly, you cannot defend this country without the critical minerals that are the bedrock of American national security.”
Cox first used the phrase in his Jan. 23, 2025, State of the State address. Deseret News cited a Utah Geological Survey report saying Utah’s mining industry produced $5 billion last year—up $360 million from the prior year—and ranked seventh nationally for nonfuel mineral production value. The state produces 10 of the 60 minerals on the 2025 federal critical minerals list, the paper said, and is the sole domestic producer of beryllium (nearly 55% of global production). Utah also hosts the nation’s only conventional uranium mill and one of two national copper smelters, Cox noted.
The governor pointed to Mission Critical, announced in January 2026 to position Utah as a top destination for critical mineral mining and processing, and to Senate Bill 254, effective in May, which prioritizes permits for critical-minerals projects. He said Utah established the nation’s first Critical Minerals Council and partnered with industry and the University of Utah to launch the MIND Center as a foundation for a federally recognized processing testbed.
State goals Cox cited include supplying a quarter of domestic demand, processing at least half of extracted minerals in Utah, and cutting permitting delays to under 18 months. “We can move faster without lowering standards,” he said. “Responsible regulation must protect our air, our water, and communities without leaving projects vital to national defense trapped in bureaucratic purgatory.”
Deseret News also flagged environmental concerns: critics link industrial extraction to stress on the Great Salt Lake (about 4,190 feet, roughly 2 feet above the record low), and the Geological Survey report notes the U.S. Magnesium Superfund Site in Tooele County, which idled in late 2024 after failing to produce magnesium metal since 2022.
At a glance: Event: UMA 111th convention + Intermountain Critical Minerals Summit · Venue: Salt Palace, SLC · Date: Nov. 4, 2026 · Industry value: $5B (UGS) · Policy: Mission Critical; SB 254; Critical Minerals Council; MIND Center
Sources: Deseret News
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