{"id":532,"date":"2026-08-03T16:39:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=532"},"modified":"2026-08-03T16:39:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:39:06","slug":"lithium-in-eastern-states-could-replace-imports-for-a-century-or-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=532","title":{"rendered":"Lithium in Eastern States Could Replace Imports for a Century or More"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lithium in Eastern States Could Replace Imports for a Century or More
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In Northern Appalachians, Assessment Estimates Substantial Concentrations in Maine<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/h3>\n
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Read the Northern Appalachians Lithium Assessment<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n By Communications and Publishing<\/a>
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\n April 28, 2026
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RESTON, Va.\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 The Appalachian region of the eastern United States contains an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium, enough to replace 328 years of U.S. imports at last year\u2019s level, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The southern Appalachians hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, concentrated in the Carolinas, and the northern Appalachians hold an estimated 900,000 metric tons, concentrated in Maine and New Hampshire, according to estimates in a new USGS scientific paper published in Natural Resources Research<\/em>. The lithium is present in pegmatites, large-grained rocks similar to granite.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis research shows that the Appalachians contain enough lithium to help meet the nation\u2019s growing needs \u2013 a major contribution to U.S. mineral security, at a time when global lithium demand is rising rapidly,\u201d said USGS Director Ned Mamula.<\/strong> \u201cUSGS mineral science is the leading edge in the effort to restore America\u2019s mineral independence by mapping our nation\u2019s mineral resources. Everything else follows on the science: permitting reform and other policy changes to support investment in clean, responsible mining to 21st<\/sup> century standards, and mining workforce training for new American jobs. The United States was the dominant world producer of lithium three decades ago, and this research highlights the abundant potential to reclaim our mineral independence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The United States had one sole producer of lithium and relied on imports for more than half the lithium used last year, factors that contributed to its inclusion on the 2025\u00a0List of Critical Minerals<\/a> published by the USGS. Lithium is used in the lithium-ion batteries that power computers, military equipment, vehicles, phones, electric tools, and energy-grid storage, as well as in aerospace alloys. Additional lithium is imported into the United States every year inside finished products made elsewhere and containing lithium-ion batteries. While Australia is the world\u2019s largest producer of lithium, China is second, and accounts for the majority of world lithium refining and consumption.<\/p>\n

The USGS projects that world production capacity for lithium will double by 2029, driven by increasing demand.\u00a0 Lithium supply security has become a priority for technology companies.<\/p>\n

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\n Sources\/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>
Map showing concentration of lithium in pegmatites in the northern Appalachians, and showing use cases for 2.3 million metric tons of lithium oxide, the amount USGS scientists estimate is economically recoverable from the Appalachian region.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The estimated 2.3 million metric tons of lithium oxide in the Appalachian region would be enough lithium for batteries in:<\/p>\n