Arnab Datta

Preston's job to find a way.

Sound energy policy would encourage—or at the very least get out of the way of—all forms of energy capacity development.

Libs block fossil fuel development and Cons block renewables is going to be an immensely irksome and economically destructive cycle.

Yes you do

Had a lot of fun going on Oil Ground Up with Rory to chat about the SPR!

Strategic Reserves: Navigating the SPR's Past and Future with Arnab Datta Oil Ground Up · Episode

🎙️ NEW PODCAST 🎧

On the latest episode of Oil Ground Up I spoke with @arnabdatta.bsky.social about the US Strategic Petroluem Reserve

Explore the political, legal, and physical constraints of this unique energy security asset and its future under the Trump admin
open.spotify.com/episode/2R0t...

new EA just dropped

Our Mission In An Age Of Turbulence: Creating A New Economic Policy Toolkit ICYMI: The Past, Present, And Future Of Macroeconomic Policy Overview Employ America was founded to advance the cause of full employment. In a full employment economy, jobs are plentiful, wage grow...

Exciting news: Employ America is relaunching to face the challenges of a new era! Not only do we have a new logo and new branding, but we’ve also refocused our work pursuing Full Employment, and the array of policy solutions that can sustain it
www.employamerica.org/expanding-th...

Call for Proposals: The Transit Policy Playbook | IFP It costs New York City more than eight times as much to build a mile of subway as Paris — and more than twice as much as Madrid. New York isn’t alone —

Since transit twitter has moved here. A friend forwarded this onto me. Have a good idea? 2k to write about it!

ifp.org/call-for-pro...

I do remember that though. Enjoyed it, but I might be biased.

It's Datta, actually.

Can discuss more but I think there’s a tendency to think about this problem as using offtakes and other forms to bring individual mines or projects online, but we should be thinking about how to build a market that can support the best production.

They’re not necessarily! Though AMCs more typical to areas where tech isn’t yet developed (vaccines being the most common to date)

With simple offtakes, also useful but ideally utilized in a manner that supports the development of robust markets.

The US can beat China on critical minerals but not by copying it America must rebuild the infrastructure that underpins markets and thus supply chains

Worthwhile from Daleep Singh and @arnabdatta.bsky.social.

After the financial crisis, China built up market-making power, which now shapes minerals contracts around the world.

They propose US lend to + insure liquidity providers in mineral market, and invest in storage.
www.ft.com/content/a38a...

Employ America For a Full Employment, high-growth economy

I contributed. We've done a lot of work on this, you're more than welcome to read the research reports published here at www.employamerica.org/ - www.employamerica.org/tag/critical...

Great piece, plus good thoughts by @ArnabDatta321 on some of the smart ideas needed for the US to build alternative critical mineral supply chains.

Building more resilient markets for secure production will be far more effective than penalizing downstream industries for sourcing habits.

Am I the doofus?

FT column on what the US strategy should be on rare earths from Daleep Singh, chief global economist at PGIM and former US deputy national security adviser for international economics, and Arnab Datta of Employ America

A good piece.

Critical Minerals - Employ America

And for more in-depth reading, check out the work we've done at @employamerica.bsky.social with @alexbhturnbull.bsky.social, @alexwilliams.bsky.social, Ashley George, and @skandaamarnath.bsky.social.

www.employamerica.org/tag/critical...

The US can beat China on critical minerals but not by copying it America must rebuild the infrastructure that underpins markets and thus supply chains

You don’t beat China’s state capitalism by copying it.

You beat it by restoring the market institutions they’ve tried to dismantle.

Read the full @financialtimes.com piece by Daleep Singh, with contribution from me: on.ft.com/4l9u9KJ 7/

This reserve must be technocratic and independent — think more "Federal Reserve" than "industrial czar."

Let private capital drive supply, but give it the confidence that markets won’t be hijacked by foreign distortions. 6/

Reimagining the SPR Adapting the Federal Reserve’s playbook for commodity risk

We've advocated for a Strategic Resilience Reserve: public entity that supports market development, not picks winners. It should:

- Lend to intermediaries
- Invest in storage
- Act as buyer of last resort in crises (like the SPR did in 2023-24)

www.ft.com/content/e948... 5/

That means rebuilding market infrastructure:

- Transparent benchmark contracts
- Physical exchanges for metals and minerals
- Liquidity to reduce investment risk

Without this, even strong firms like Albemarle can't justify new U.S. refining capacity. 4/

The policy response so far leans toward state-directed procurement: price floors, guaranteed offtake, strategic stockpiles.

These tools have value — but without functional markets, they risk distorting incentives and crowding out investment discipline. 3/

China dominates critical minerals not just through production — but by controlling markets.

U.S. firms operate in a global pricing system designed by and for China’s industrial policy.

2/

Trump’s trade talks made it clear: on critical minerals, China holds the cards.

The U.S. needs more than stockpiles and subsidies - we need to rebuild market infrastructure so the U.S. and allies can compete.

New @financialtimes.com piece from Daleep Singh (w/ me contributing). 🧵 1/

The Supreme Court Put Nationwide Injunctions to the Torch That isn’t the disaster for birthright citizenship that some fear.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called yesterday's decision about nationwide injunctions "an existential threat to the rule of law."

She's mistaken.

My latest in @theatlantic.com: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

What's more -- and this is really the key point of my piece -- there are all sorts of ways that the plaintiffs in these cases can get sweeping relief.

This is a super important point. Strongly recommend at least scanning Nick’s thread from here.

The CASA op is a shanda. But in thinking through next moves, it’s crucial to be clear eyed about the paths to broad relief that remain, esp class actions, associational standing, and APA vacatur.

This Odd Lots interview with Fulop is great. You can tell when a YIMBY really knows what they're talking about and can get in the weeds vs someone who just says build/zoning/build/zoning.