Huge deposits of lithium are in Nevada. Here’s why.

In Clayton Valley, a wide basin in western Nevada’s Esmeralda County, aquamarine pools lie between brown-toned mountains under a clear blue sky. Basins and similar areas line up like battalions from west to east across the state, though most are dry. Clayton’s tranquil ponds are man-made – and rich in lithium.

Silver Peak, a small former silver mining town in this remote valley, became Nevada’s first lithium production facility in 1966, decades before the metal became the key to renewable energy and national security. The facility, operated by Albemarle Corporation, produces 5,512 tons (5,000 metric tons) of lithium carbonate annually.