MAINE MONITOR • March 2, 2024
Beneath the surface, western Maine and California’s Imperial Valley share something in common — nationally significant deposits of lithium. It’s a strategic metal considered essential for batteries that power electric vehicles and the storage systems needed to support a global, renewable energy revolution. The Maine discovery is said to be one of the world’s largest deposits of lithium, locked in rock crystals on the side of Plumbago Mountain in Newry. Meanwhile, lithium found thousands of feet underground in the superheated, salty water called geothermal brines is making global headlines. There’s enough lithium contained in the brines around the Salton Sea for 375 million batteries for electric vehicles, according to a recent federal analysis. It’s enough to help the U.S. meet global demand for decades.