Why Nevada?

As a leading mining region in the world, Nevada enjoys unmatched infrastructure, skilled miners, consistent permitting protocols, relatively low taxes / royalties (no state or personal income taxes), a social license to operate, temperate climate and a safe operating environment. Nevada is also home to the only brine based producing lithium operation in North America and so it’s no wonder Nevada’s “Lithium Hub” is experiencing a frenzied land grab similar to the California’s Gold Rush.

Nevada is not all tourism & gambling. It’s home to a rapidly growing green-energy metals district. Clean-technology and modern, high-technology enterprises are also being driven to the state, powered by one of the highest concentrations of renewable resources in the country. This is clearly what makes Nevada shine so bright and what lured Tesla Motors’ $5 billion Gigafactory to land there. This building, once completed, will be the world’s second largest building, by volume and the biggest lithium-ion battery factory in the world. Tesla’s Gigafactory is expected to generate $97 billion economic activity in the Reno Nevada.

Nevada was a natural choice for the Gigafactory as it is rich in lithium and that Tesla had stated that it wanted to source raw materials locally—not to mention that Nevada is the site of the only producing brine based lithium mine in North America, Rockwood Lithium. Nevada is ranked first in mining in the United Sates and third in the world.

Lithium is the key ingredient in batteries. It’s the preferred mineral for batteries because it has the highest electric output per unit weight. Supplies are tightening and demand is increasing. Not only is Nevada home to what is believed to be the second largest lithium supply (next only to Chile) it also a hot bed of renewable resources such a wind and solar.

Green & clean-tech companies are flocking to Nevada to be a part of an irreversible movement away from fossil fuels. Western Nevada is now a major player for activity in the lithium sector, and the lithium-staking rush is moving faster than imagined. This having a major impact on the local economy, and it’s making it much easier for smaller companies to raise exploration money, helping junior companies to flourish into more significant companies, creating new jobs and boosting the economy. Joint ventures are happening, and they’re happening quickly. This trend has also resulted in large companies such as Apple, Amazon, EBay and Electric Vehicle manufacturer Faraday Future building facilities, or expanding existing ones. Faraday alone has committed to a $1 billion project.

As noted in a recent Fortune.com feature article, Nevada is

“…becoming a hub for manufacturing for energy storage, clean energy and greener transportation that could one day be as important as Silicon Valley is to Internet and software start-ups.”