RENO, Nev. (AP) — General Motors Co. has conditionally agreed to invest $650 million in Lithium Americas Corp. in a deal that will give GM exclusive access to the first phase of a mine planned near the Nevada-Oregon line with the largest known source of lithium in the U.S.
The equity investment the companies announced jointly on Tuesday is contingent on the Thacker Pass project clearing the final environmental and legal challenges it faces in federal court in Reno, where conservationists and tribal leaders are suing to block it.
Lawyers for the mining company and the U.S. government told a judge during a Jan. 5 hearing the project is critical to meeting the growing demand for lithium to make electric vehicle batteries — a key part of President Joe Biden’s push to expedite a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Central Oregon Daily News visited the Thacker Pass project last June. You can watch our report in the player below.
