The United States is making a play to join the ranks of the world’s largest lithium suppliers. At present, the country – and the rest of the world – is highly reliant on just a few nations for lithium supplies, as well as downstream manufacturing of lithium-based products like batteries to power electric vehicles and energy storage. The element’s central role in clean energy technologies has turned it into the “white gold” of the clean energy transition, and interest in lithium supply chains is surging accordingly. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that lithium demand for battery-making ... (full story)