Cobalt is a metal that produces a blue pigment. It's essential for making many of the batteries powering phones, computers, and electric vehicles, but mining it is linked to human rights abuses.

The price hit $15 a pound. At that price, Jervois would lose money pulling the cobalt out of the ground. So, just weeks before the mine was set to open, Crocker made a tough call.

America's only cobalt mine opened last year to great fanfare, since the mineral is crucial for green energy. But it surprisingly closed months later.

Industrial Base Policy oversees the industrial supply of military weapons systems. Jervois has estimated its mine could supply 10% of current U.S. demand for cobalt.

Gathering minerals such as nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium from the seabed could affect everything from sponges to ...

By Stacey Vanek Smith, Eric Whitney Published December 14, 2023 at 4:58 AM EST Listen • 3:56 Eric Whitney / NPR A portion of Jervois Global's Idaho Cobalt Operations mine near Salmon, Idaho Oct ...

A cobalt mine. More specifically the only operating cobalt mine in the US. Cobalt is a silvery-blue metal that is an essential ingredient in the batteries that power our phones and electric cars ...

The price hit $15 a pound. At that price, Jervois would lose money pulling the cobalt out of the ground. So, just weeks before the mine was set to open, Crocker made a tough call.

"Obviously, this is why we've invested." Crocker spent $150 million developing the mine. Meanwhile, demand for cobalt was soaring–it's expected to nearly double over the next few years.