The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Request for Information (RFI) on critical materials in the energy sector, including fuel cell platinum group metal catalysts. The RFI is soliciting feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders on issues related to the demand, supply, opportunities for developing substitutes, and potential for using materials more efficiently in the energy sector. For DOE, critical materials are both important to energy technologies and at risk of supply disruption. The information received from the RFI will be used to update the analyses in DOE's Critical Material Strategy Reports that were released in 2010 and 2011.

Building on the work of the 2010 and 2011 Critical Materials Strategy reports, the RFI seeks information on materials used in a variety of energy technologies, from generation to end use, and their manufacturing processes. Topics of interest include material intensity, market projections, technology transitions, primary production, supply chains, and recycling. Respondents are also encouraged to provide additional information that is relevant to assessing material criticality in the energy sector.

For more information, read a blog post from the Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis or download the RFI.

Responses are due no later than 5 p.m. (EDT) by April 11, 2016, and should be submitted electronically to materialstrategy@hq.doe.gov.