Climate and Energy Senior Analyst at the Breakthrough Institute (he/him)
Washington, D.C.
Joined January 2023
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Peter Cook retweeted
"The studies simply do not prove anything about cancer incidence."
Read @thebti's @Dr_A_Stein and @econpragmatist excerpted in the Wall Street Journal: wsj.com/opinion/notable-quot…
Peter Cook retweeted
Despite hype, reprocessing of mine tailings is generally unlikely to yield economic production of critical minerals.
Shown here: global mine site sample data for antimony, gallium, lithium, and tin. Economic ranges in blue.
It’s rare for a single report to put an end to a bad policy idea, but I’m hopeful this tour de force from my colleague @PeterCookBTI does just that. Policymakers should not misinterpret mine tailings as a meaningful solution for critical minerals security. 🧵
Peter Cook retweeted
Quoted a few days ago in this new
@abcnews @by_Kyle_Evans on the operational challenges facing near-term seafloor mining commercialization.
"If they lose 5 per cent here and there because of bad weather or equipment failure, that effect stacks, and that's the hurdle that will make or break some of these companies."
I've been consistent that I think technological trends (deep sea engineering, robotics, mapping...) are moving in favor of seafloor minerals and that it will be commercially feasible earlier than many think. At the same time, operational practice must be proven and that means I'm also unsure this industry is only 2 years away as some claim.
Peter Cook retweeted
Link to my piece here:
breakthroughjournal.org/p/pe…
Peter Cook retweeted
Learn more from @wang_seaver below: xitter.cf/wang_seaver/status/210…
My team and co-authors published a new paper today in Environmental Research Letters @IOPenvironment: "Future Energy Transition Mineral Demands and Barriers for South and Southeast Asia."
Key Finding 1: South Asia and ASEAN become major drivers of energy transition mineral demand. Under announced climate pledges, critical mineral demand in clean tech deployed across South and Southeast Asia may surpass that of a rapidly-decarbonizing United States, as early as the mid-2030s. 🧵
Peter Cook retweeted
NEW paper from @thebti's @wang_seaver @PeterCookBTI and @RyanAlimento et al. projects the fast growing demand for energy transition critical minerals in South + Southeast Asia. driven by both demand for electric vehicles (cars + two-wheelers) and power sector development.
iopscience.iop.org/article/1…
Peter Cook retweeted
"The comments implicitly carry the idea that reforming the rules means increasing nuclear risk. In fact, the changes pave the way for a generation of nuclear technology that is inherently safer."
Read the latest Nuclear Notes: nuclearnotes.org/p/some-stat…
Peter Cook retweeted
"Due to a peculiarity in the state’s constitution, California's electricity utilities are incentivized to pay for a huge amount of wildfire prevention."
@thebti's @lrntex joins @robinsonmeyer on Shift Key for @heatmap_news.
heatmap.news/podcast/shift-k…
We're over halfway through 2026 and nearing the end of the 119th Congress. Here's @TheBTI's take on where U.S. critical mineral policy stands and its Congressional prospects as we near elections and the lame duck session (it's not looking great) 🧵
thebreakthrough.org/issues/e…
We see 3 actions with a chance of passing:
-Reauthorization of the USGS Earth Mapping Resource Initiative
-Boosts to recycling through Resource Conservation and Recovery Act reforms; and
-Reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank
Peter Cook retweeted
"The last few weeks before the mid-term elections will indicate if the current congressional make-up is equipped to deal with the challenges the U.S. minerals industry faces."
New from @TheBTI's @wang_seaver @PeterCookBTI
breakthroughjournal.org/p/do…
Peter Cook retweeted
"Partisan tension combined with the Trump administration's preference for unilateral action have paralyzed this Congress, leaving it unable to advance its own proposals—let alone forge them into a coherent national critical minerals strategy."
New from @PeterCookBTI and @wang_seaver:
thebreakthrough.org/issues/e…
Peter Cook retweeted
These are the voyages of the @TheBTI Climate and Energy team: it's continuing mission to chart a path forward for every supply chain essential for energy abundance and clean energy progress.
Great new piece on grain-oriented electrical steel for transformers by @RyanAlimento!
Peter Cook retweeted
Every transformer on the grid runs on a core made of grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES). GOES prices doubled from 2020 to 2024, but there is only 1 GOES plant in the U.S. and it makes an inferior product.
New from @RyanAlimento:
breakthroughjournal.org/p/am…
Peter Cook retweeted
We have written a new primer on prospects and challenges facing value-added mineral beneficiation opportunities in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand, at the request of and in collaboration with @Swaniti and the Meridian Collective.
Our analysis focuses on rare earths and titanium from heavy mineral sands in Andhra Pradesh, and on lithium, byproduct gallium and rare earths, aluminum, copper, and iron in Jharkhand.
Peter Cook retweeted
As producers of Abundance 2026, @thebti is proud to partner with @PubEnterprise to convene the researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders shaping America's growth.
Learn more at abundancedc.org:
Excited to share the latest @TheBTI analysis along with @wang_seaver, highlighting the challenges of recovering critical minerals from mine waste.
Yes, US policy should support waste recovery. But it cannot expect to meet all demand and displace conventional mining 🧵
Meaningful production of critical minerals from mine waste will happen on a element by element and site by site basis. So we need to prioritize support accordingly based on know geologic correlations.
Check out the full article here:
thebreakthrough.org/issues/e…
