At SME MINEXCHANGE 2026 in Salt Lake City, mining leaders from around the world gathered to exchange ideas, share technical expertise and explore the forces shaping the future of the industry. Against this backdrop, WSP experts joined the Mining NOW podcast for a live, on site conversation about rare earth elements, supply chain resilience and what it will take for the U.S. to move from dependence to leadership.
A critical moment for rare earths
Rare earth elements are essential to the energy transition and advanced manufacturing—powering electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, defense applications and consumer electronics. Yet despite holding significant domestic resources, the U.S. remains heavily reliant on foreign processing and refining capacity, creating economic and geopolitical vulnerabilities.
These realities framed the Mining NOW discussion with WSP in the U.S., hosted by Jerrod Downey. The podcast features Scot Foster, Senior Leader, U.S. Mining and Metals; Randy Huffsmith, Senior Vice President and U.S. Mining Sector Leader and Sofia Berger, Business Line Executive, Earth and Environment. Recorded live during SME MINEXCHANGE, the conversation explored how the industry can close critical gaps across the rare earth value chain.
