USGS Says Appalachian Lithium Could Support EV Battery Demand by Jacob Lorinc
Parts of the Appalachian region of the eastern U.S. hold enough lithium to curb America’s reliance on imports for centuries, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey, underscoring domestic resource potential as demand for critical minerals accelerates. The areas — primarily covering Maine, New Hampshire and the Carolinas, holds an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium, said a USGS study published April 28. That’s enough of the battery metal to replace 328 years of U.S. imports at last year’s level, and enough to power 130 million electric vehicles or 1.6 million grid-scale batteries, the agency said. Global lithium supply remains concentrated, with China dominating the world’s supply of processed lithium. USGS Says Appalachian Lithium Could Support EV Battery Demand – TT
