Share this article Share this article KNOXVILLE, Tenn., May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has tapped the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, or IACMI – The Composites Institute, to develop and deploy new technologies for manufacturing coal-derived products using coal resources near distressed South Appalachian coal communities. The $1.5 million grant awarded to IACMI will assist in the development of technologies to extract and produce critical minerals from both coal and coal ash in the South Appalachian Basin of east Tennessee, northwest Georgia and northern Alabama. Production of critical materials essential for clean energy projects, such as electric vehicle batteries, resilient buildings and infrastructure, can create jobs in coal and power plant communities.