April 8, 2019—Reuters reports that government officials, auto makers, and lithium mining companies will meet in May to discuss the production of batteries for electric vehicles in the U.S. According to The Hill, the United States produces five percent of lithium batteries, whereas China produces two-thirds of the world's lithium batteries.
Since 2014, imports of lithium have doubled for the U.S.
“We need to find ways to more efficiently develop our nation’s domestic critical mineral supply because these resources are vital to both our national security and our economy,” Republican Senator John Hoeven of N.D. said in a statement to Reuters.
Senators Lisa Murkowski, republican of Alaska, and Hoeven, as well as both members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, officials from the departments of State, Energy, and the Interior, along with the U.S. Geological Survey have been invited to the meetings.
The meeting will include workshops on financing and permitting obstacles, as well as one-on-one meetings between regulators and industry executives, according to Reuters.
