FACT BRIEFIs Nevada home to the only operating lithium production mine in the US?
Yes.
The only site in the U.S. where lithium is extracted and produced is located in Nevada, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Located in Esmeralda County, the Silver Peak mine has been active since 1965. Today, it is operated by North Carolina-based chemical manufacturer Albemarle.
The U.S. imports the majority of its lithium, but a booming electric vehicle industry has increased interest in boosting domestic production. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo has spoken publicly of his desire to create a “lithium loop” in Nevada and make the state — which is the most mineral-wealthy in the nation — the home base for all lithium-related industries.
As of Oct. 10, the Bureau of Land Management had approved three lithium mine projects in Nevada to begin construction. Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass mine was approved in 2023, Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge mine in 2024 and Surge Battery Metals’ Nevada North Lithium Project in 2025.
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Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2025.
- Albemarle, Silver Peak mine.
- Bureau of Land Management, Silver Peak Lithium Expansion Operation Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement, August 2025.
- Lithium Americas, Thacker Pass mine.
- Ioneer, Rhyolite Ridge mine.
- Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, “Lithium Loop.”
- Lithium Americas, 2025 Q1 report.
- Energy Information Administration, vehicle sales by battery type.
- Surge Battery Metals, Nevada North Lithium Project.
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