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Today, just one lithium mine operates in the U.S. By 2030, at least six new projects are expected on American soil, with 13 more close behind, mostly in the dry Southwest.
That’s only a sliver of what’s coming. Companies have already staked claims for more than 100 lithium mines, according to a new database from Columbia Journalism Investigations and Inside Climate News.
This surge underscores how quickly the U.S. is emerging as a major player in the global lithium market, a metal central to electric vehicle batteries. The Biden administration promoted the boom as a way to bolster U.S. energy independence, and under the banner of “Drill, Baby, Drill,” President Donald Trump has accelerated it—while the costs mount. Socially and economically vulnerable communities, especially Indigenous tribes, are absorbing many of the impacts.
Wyatt and Johanna, whose reporting alongside CJI’s Carla Samon Ros has produced a new series on U.S. lithium mining, break down the rush to build these projects, what it means for local communities and fragile ecosystems, and what can be done now to improve the path forward.
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Thank you,
Wyatt Myskow
Reporter, Phoenix
Wyatt Myskow covers drought, biodiversity and the renewable energy transition throughout the Western U.S. Based in Phoenix, he previously reported for The Arizona Republic and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Wyatt has lived in the Southwest since birth and graduated from Arizona State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism.