SILVER PEAK, Nev. — On the edge of Western Nevada, hours from a major city and miles down private dirt roads, lies the United States’ only lithium-producing plant.
The nearest town is Tonopah — population 2,179 — where a prospector discovered silver at the turn of the 20th century. The town’s mining roots are still on display, but the action has shifted to the country’s largest lithium brine operation 45 minutes away.
Silver Peak has been producing lithium since the 1960s. Specialty chemicals company Albemarle acquired the site in 2015 from Foot Mineral Company and has owned it ever since.
Silver Peak has gained newfound attention in recent years as the energy and transportation sectors race to wean themselves off climate-warming fossil fuels. Lithium’s unique properties make it the common denominator across battery technologies. Forecasts for just how much will be needed in the decades to come vary. Under the International Energy Agency’s most ambitious climate scenario, lithium supply will have to grow fortyfold by 2040 from today’s levels.
The U.S. used to be a leader in lithium production, but it’s since ceded that position to foreign nations, including China. Now the Biden administration has said that bringing battery supply chains back to U.S. shores is a matter of national importance, and the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate package in U.S. history — underscores this new push toward domestic production of vital materials.
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