US seeks new lithium sources as demand for batteries grows

By PATRICK WHITTLE
Associated Press

NEWRY, Maine (AP) — The United States will need far more lithium to achieve its clean energy goals, and the industry that mines the chemical element is poised to grow. The industry also faces a host of challenges from environmentalists, Indigenous groups and government regulators. Lithium is distributed widely throughout the Earth, but the U.S. is home to just one active lithium mine, in Nevada. The element is critical to the development of lithium-ion batteries, which are rechargeable batteries seen as critical to reducing the carbon emissions created by cars and other forms of transportation.