The US just found millions of tons of lithium in Appalachia, enough for 500 billion cellphones and experts say it could power the next century of American tech and weaken China's grip on batteries

Date:
Sun, 03 May 2026 18:40:00 +0000

Description:
The U.S. finds huge lithium reserves in Appalachia that could supply billions of phones and reduce America's reliance on China.

FULL STORY
Lithium buried beneath parts of the Appalachian
region could supply the United States with hundreds of years of material essential for batteries, electronics, and large-scale energy storage systems.

New estimates from the United States Geological Survey point to roughly 2.3 million metric tons of lithium oxide located in pegmatite formations spread across areas of the eastern United States. Much of the material is believed
to sit beneath sections of the Carolinas, while additional deposits are estimated to lie under parts of western Maine and New Hampshire.

Appalachian lithium resources concentrated inside pegmatites: Reporting on the news, Fortune says the scale is large enough to replace about 328 years of US lithium imports based on recent demand levels, a number that shows just how dependent the country has become on foreign sources for key battery
materials.

The deposits could support production of about 500 billion cellphones, along with billions of laptops and tablets, or enough batteries to power roughly
130 million electric vehicles if the material can be recovered at commercial scale.

Much of the discussion around lithium now centers on supply chains,
especially since China dominates the production of finished lithium-ion batteries used in devices ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles and backup systems in data centers.

Demand continues rising as manufacturers move away from older battery types, while lithium-ion technology remains widely used in systems that require fast charging and long operating life.

USGS says lithium resources in Appalachia are concentrated inside pegmatites, large-grained granite-like rock formations that can trap valuable elements during cooling and crystallization deep underground.

Accessing the material remains the biggest hurdle, since the United States currently produces only a small share of global lithium output despite rising domestic demand.

The country produced about 610 metric tons of lithium recently, accounting
for roughly 0.3% of worldwide production, while most refining and large-scale battery manufacturing continues to take place overseas.

In December 2025 we reported how researchers identified lithium-rich clay deposits inside the McDermitt Caldera along the Nevada-Oregon border, where geological surveys suggested between 20 million and 40 million metric tons of lithium-bearing material could exist.

Geological analysis showed that layers of volcanic ash and long-running hydrothermal activity enriched soft sediments with lithium, creating clay bands that in some cases sit close enough to the surface to allow open-pit extraction.

Industry planners continue to point out that discovery alone does not guarantee production, since refining capacity, environmental permits, and infrastructure determine how quickly resources reach the market.

Government-backed funding and private investment projects are already
underway in places such as Arkansas, where chemical extraction methods are being tested to increase domestic production capacity.

Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-us-just-found-millions-of-tons-of-lithium-in -appalachia-enough-for-500-billion-cellphones-and-experts-say-it-could-power-t he-next-century-of-american-tech-and-weaken-chinas-grip-on-batteries

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Mike Powell wrote to All <=-

The US just found millions of tons of lithium in Appalachia, enough for 500 billion cellphones and experts say it could power the next century
of American tech and weaken China's grip on batteries

The USS Gerald Ford has reportedly left the gulf and is headed to the
eastern seaboard to effect regime change and secure the lithium
deposits for America.


... Take away the important parts
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The US just found millions of tons of lithium in Appalachia, enough for 500 billion cellphones and experts say it could power the next century of American tech and weaken China's grip on batteries

The USS Gerald Ford has reportedly left the gulf and is headed to the
eastern seaboard to effect regime change and secure the lithium
deposits for America.

I thought it was disabled after a kitchen fire? ;)


* SLMR 2.1a * The bold print giveth and the fine print taketh away.
--- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
* Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/107)

The US just found millions of tons of lithium in Appalachia, enough for
500 billion cellphones and experts say it could power the next century
of American tech and weaken China's grip on batteries

The USS Gerald Ford has reportedly left the gulf and is headed to the

> eastern seaboard to effect regime change and secure the lithium
> deposits for America.

Is this the Appalachia mountain range that is just in from the
East coast through much of the USA? I only ask because it seems
to me that area must already be about as secure for America as
anyplace could be, so I wondered if there was another one...

---
* SLMR Rob * If all is not lost then... Where IS it?
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Rob Mccart wrote to KURT WEISKE <=-

Is this the Appalachia mountain range that is just in from the
East coast through much of the USA? I only ask because it seems
to me that area must already be about as secure for America as
anyplace could be, so I wondered if there was another one...

Yes, I was making a tongue-in-cheek comment about how we effect regime
change to help the people only in countries that have raw materials we
need.



--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
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The US just found millions of tons of lithium in Appalachia, enough for 500 billion cellphones and experts say it could power the next century of American tech and weaken China's grip on batteries

The USS Gerald Ford has reportedly left the gulf and is headed to the

> eastern seaboard to effect regime change and secure the lithium
> deposits for America.

Is this the Appalachia mountain range that is just in from the
East coast through much of the USA? I only ask because it seems
to me that area must already be about as secure for America as
anyplace could be, so I wondered if there was another one...

I think it was a joke. :D


* SLMR 2.1a * You're so vain / I bet you think this tagline's about you
--- SBBSecho 3.28-Linux
* Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/107)

Is this the Appalachia mountain range that is just in from the
East coast through much of the USA? I only ask because it seems
to me that area must already be about as secure for America as
anyplace could be, so I wondered if there was another one...

Yes, I was making a tongue-in-cheek comment about how we effect regime

>change to help the people only in countries that have raw materials we
>need.

Right.. sorry about that. It did sort of run through my mind that, if
we were talking about the USA, not that it was a joke, but that the
federal gov't was going to take over the area for full control of it,
as opposed to the State gov't or private enterprise...

---
* SLMR Rob * Let he who is without stones cast the first sinner
* Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/107)

Is this the Appalachia mountain range that is just in from the
East coast through much of the USA? I only ask because it seems
to me that area must already be about as secure for America as
anyplace could be, so I wondered if there was another one...

Yes, I was making a tongue-in-cheek comment about how we effect regime

>change to help the people only in countries that have raw materials we
>need.

Right.. sorry about that. It did sort of run through my mind that, if
we were talking about the USA, not that it was a joke, but that the federal gov't was going to take over the area for full control of it,
as opposed to the State gov't or private enterprise...

Ironically, during the most recent previous administration, there was a conspiracy theory that they, too, might do something in order to encourage
or force landowners out of that same area to take control of it. That was sparked by the government's less-than full-hearted response to devastating flooding caused by a tropical storm.

That was actually something interesting about this story... there were apparently people back a couple or so years ago that already knew there
were likely precious metals in that same area.

... Direct from the Ministry of Silly Walks
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Right.. sorry about that. It did sort of run through my mind that, if
we were talking about the USA, not that it was a joke, but that the
federal gov't was going to take over the area for full control of it,
as opposed to the State gov't or private enterprise...

Ironically, during the most recent previous administration, there was a

>conspiracy theory that they, too, might do something in order to encourage
>or force landowners out of that same area to take control of it. That was
>sparked by the government's less-than full-hearted response to devastating
>flooding caused by a tropical storm.

A conspiracy.. so we are in the right conference.. B)

Yes, can't trust the gov't if there's money to be made or important
resources. I'm pretty sure here you don't get the mineral rights
when you buy land and, if the gov't decides they want it, they
pay you supposedly market value for your land but you can't refuse
to sell it to them..

---
* SLMR Rob * Round up the usual suspects
* Origin: Capitol City Online (1:2320/107)

Ironically, during the most recent previous administration, there was a

>conspiracy theory that they, too, might do something in order to encourage
>or force landowners out of that same area to take control of it. That was
>sparked by the government's less-than full-hearted response to devastating
>flooding caused by a tropical storm.

A conspiracy.. so we are in the right conference.. B)

Yes, can't trust the gov't if there's money to be made or important resources. I'm pretty sure here you don't get the mineral rights
when you buy land and, if the gov't decides they want it, they
pay you supposedly market value for your land but you can't refuse
to sell it to them..

Here in the USA, I am not 100% on how mineral rights work, but I do know
that someone can own them that doesn't own the land on top of them. I
found that out when I was younger and my father and grandmother were
talking about selling the mineral rights underneath of some land they
planned to keep.


* SLMR 2.1a * A preposition is what you don't end a sentence with. Um.
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