Overview
- The USGS estimates Appalachian pegmatites — coarse-grained rocks like granite — contain about 2.3 million metric tons of lithium oxide, mainly in the Carolinas with deposits in Maine and New Hampshire.
- Reported estimates equate the resource to roughly 328 years of recent U.S. lithium imports, underscoring the potential scale if it is developed.
- The U.S. now produces about 610 metric tons of lithium and relies on foreign refining, with China controlling much of that processing capacity.
- No new mines or refineries have been announced, and hard-rock mining, permits, and processing present steep hurdles before any lithium reaches batteries.
- The Interior Department has begun work on NEPA changes, as editorials push faster permits and skeptics forecast long delays from lawsuits, costs, and scattered sites.