Pennsylvania’s lithium mining future comes with big questions

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania holds what could be a significant source of lithium, a key component in powering everything from cell phones to electric vehicles.

However, the potential source may present a dilemma for clean energy advocates, as it comes from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking – an industry they oppose.

A study by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, or NETL, suggests that wastewater from two Pennsylvania regions of the Marcellus Shale could supply up to 40% of U.S. lithium needs. One of the largest natural gas formations in North America, the Marcellus Shale spans parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York and has produced significant amounts of natural gas through fracking and horizontal drilling.

“NETL’s research further demonstrates the importance of investing in hydrocarbon resource development and use for economic and environmental progress,” Marcellus Shale Coalition VP of Government Affairs and Communications Patrick Henderson told The Center Square via email statement.

“Electric power, motor fuels, plastics and petrochemicals, hydrogen and now lithium are a few of the many benefits of domestic natural gas development and its ever-expanding role in providing for a more sustainable and secure energy future for our country.”

While Pennsylvania’s lithium potential could reduce reliance on imports and aid the transition to clean energy, it comes with environmental concerns, policy hurdles, and economic uncertainties.

The interplay between fracking, lithium mining, refining, recycling, and national energy independence highlights the complexities of securing a sustainable lithium supply.

Experts like Robert Charette, longtime systems engineer and author of “The EV Transition Explained,” caution that lithium supply projections are uncertain due to unknown factors such as recycling rates, competition, and pricing volatility.

When breaking down the numbers, he said, questions about the bigger picture arise. If Pennsylvania suddenly emerges as a major lithium producer, are those who already own, or plan to open, lithium mines elsewhere in the U.S. going to let that pass without putting price pressure on them?

While writing an article on the subject, Charette said he was told that battery recyclers could face challenges from lithium mine owners who would likely try to drive them out of business.

“Regardless of what price lithium recyclers have, the miners feel they can undercut them,” he said.

On the projected supply claims, Charette asked, “at what price?”

Foreign lithium sources hold significant pricing power, he said, and he wonders if it will come down to balancing national security with cost.

“Is the U.S. going to become lithium independent, but at a price that’s much higher than the rest of the world?” Charettte wonders.

The whole green energy game has changed, he added

“It’s no longer just about climate change,” Charette said. “It’s about geopolitical strategy, and so policy decisions are being made in that context.”

Comparing it to the recent national security issue involving U.S. Steel, he said if it were only about “going green,” we would include Chinese cars. Chinese lithium is cheaper, said Charette, and the fastest way to undercut the Chinese is get rid of the Biden-era EV mandate – which President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order reversing.

Charette warned that rising energy costs directly impact industrialization, which in turn affects living standards. “If energy is expensive, your lifestyle is going to be reduced.” And so, the question is whether green energy can be creted at low cost.

According to Charette’s law of risk management, the risks lie at the interface between fracking and the environmentalists, policies, miners, refiners and recyclers.

Solutions to some of the problems include battery recycling and increased domestic mining, however, the U.S. is currently limited in its capacity for both.

There is currently only one lithium mine operating in the U.S. – Albemarle’s Silver Peak Mine in Nevada. Several others, such as Thacker Pass in Nevada, are under development or awaiting approval, but are not yet operational. Likewise, there are a handful of lithium refiners and battery recyclers in various stages of readiness.

Federal policies impact lithium demand but have limited control over fracking on private land, where much of Pennsylvania’s lithium resources are located.

Comment from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was not received in time for publication.