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A California lake has enough lithium to power 375 million EVs

Creative Commons: Dicklyon

California’s infamous Salton Sea has been a known hotbed of lithium for years, but no one had a sense of how much “white gold” was found there. Now a new study quantifies that, and it’s impressive: The huge underground reserve of scorching hot brine located underneath the lakebed contains enough lithium to build batteries for 375 million electric vehicle batteries, making it one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world.

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$3.5 billion of new federal funding for US battery manufacturing announced

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden administration announced that a new round of federal funds to support the US battery manufacturing industry is becoming available. This $3.5 billion package is the second part of a large $6 billion-plus program that awarded funds to its first applicants last year.

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ExxonMobil begins lithium drilling in US to become an EV supply leader because… money (duh)

ExxonMobil lithium

The evil empire of ExxonMobil is taking a slight reprieve from birthing oil barons to invest its time and money into a promising new venture – lithium. The carbon-clad gasoline company has begun drilling for a different earth material in the US, with an aim to become a leading supplier of lithium vital to current EV battery chemistry by the end of the decade. Do you think they’re using zero-emissions equipment yet?

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Chile’s president aims to nationalize world’s largest lithium supply

batteries

Chile’s president, Gabriel Boric, wants to create a plan to require state involvement in and control of any lithium contracts going forward in the country with the world’s largest lithium supply.

Boric says that the plan will protect biodiversity and indigenous rights and will help to distribute the gains from Chile’s mineral wealth more broadly among Chileans.

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GM invests millions in EnergyX to unlock North American lithium supply via sustainable extraction

GM Lithium

General Motors announced that GM Ventures is leading a $50 million Series B financing round in EnergyX – a company specializing in direct lithium extraction and refinery technologies. As part of the investment, GM will help fund the commercialization of EnergyX’s sustainable extraction technology in exchange for lithium to be exclusively used for EV production.

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California’s ‘Lithium Valley’ project powers up EV battery boom with millions in tax breaks

California Lithium

During a press conference yesterday, supervisors in Imperial County, California, announced they had voted unanimously to offer tax rebates, property tax deductions, and the potential for further incentives to any and all battery manufacturers willing to produce Lithium products within the county’s lines. The county shared it is also seeking federal funding and state programs to support its “Lithium Valley” project with hopes of bringing more battery manufacturing to California.

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LG Energy Solution and Snow Lake Lithium team up to establish lithium supply chain for EVs in North America

Lithium North America

Carbon-conscious mining company Snow Lake Lithium and battery production specialist LG Energy Solution announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a domestic supply chain of lithium in North America. When Snow Lake’s lithium mining operation gets up and running in 2025, it plans to supply LG with the precious Earth material essential to current EV battery chemistry. This domestic supply chain could help several automakers qualify for US federal tax credits as well.

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Ford, LG Energy supplier using lithium extraction with ‘minimal environmental impact’ to produce EV battery metals

Compass-Minerals-Lithium-4

Compass Mineral International, a leading supplier of essential minerals like salt and sulfate of potash (used in plant fertilizer), has been pivoting to focus on the “new gold” rush, lithium. The minerals company, which has deals to supply lithium for EV leaders like Ford and LG Energy, is doubling down by using a new extraction technology to obtain the mineral with minimal impact on the environment.

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Will this metal recycling startup revolutionize the battery and clean energy sectors? [Update]

US minerals

Most of the materials required for batteries and other clean energy technology are dirty to mine. They’re also mostly controlled by China. Can a recycling technology startup change that?

Electrek spoke with Megan O’Connor, cofounder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a Beverly, Massachusetts-based developer of a recycling technology that extracts critical metals from batteries for a second life, about how to enable a clean, domestic, and streamlined supply of critical minerals for the clean energy transition. Nth Cycle’s technology was developed at Harvard and Yale universities.

In April, Nth Cycle received $3.2 million in seed funding led by Boston-based clean energy venture capital company Clean Energy Ventures.

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Snow Lake Lithium is developing the world’s first all-electric lithium mine to support EV industry in North America

Lithium North America

Snow Lake Resources Ltd. has outlined plans to develop over 55,000 acres in Manitoba, Canada into the world’s first all-electric lithium mine. By utilizing Manitoba’s hydroelectricity, the entire mining operation can run on 98% renewable energy, helping the company sustainably source lithium – a vital resource to EV batteries – domestically in North America. As Snow Lake Lithium works through the environmental red tape to begin mining, it is seeking an OEM to enter in a joint venture to help process the lithium into EV batteries for North America.

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EGEB: Scandinavia’s largest offshore wind farm is inaugurated

Scandinavia's largest offshore wind

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • Denmark’s and Scandinavia’s largest offshore wind farm was inaugurated yesterday.
  • A judge denies another bid to halt excavation at the largest-known lithium resource in the US.
  • UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.
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EGEB: Clean energy was second-most prevalent US electricity source in 2020

IPCC report

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • In 2020, clean energy sources generated 21% of all US electricity.
  • A judge rules that the largest known lithium resource in the US can be excavated.
  • UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.
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