Lithium brine in Salton SeaBerkshire Hathaway evaluating lithium production from their geothermal power plants. GM committed to another project nearby. Huge potential resource but lots of capital needed and some technical details to be worked out. Estimates are a billion dollars to get to production and that does not include a plant to produce chemical grade lithium.
I would feel better if GM wanted to spend a billion at electric avenue. Berkshire has all the capital they can use, but they are only interested in lithium because their geothermal power plants are already profitable. Don't think they would go after a stand alone lithium mine. Meanwhile Albemarbe now has 75% of the big lithium mine in Finland and is putting a billion or so there to move toward supplying a good piece of Europe battery supply for EVs with a more reliable local supply chain.