Some estimate the lithium-ion battery market will be worth more than $100 billion by 2027. Much of that growth can be attributed to the meteoric rise of electric vehicles, thanks in large part to Tesla.

And that makes lithium – specifically lithium carbonate, the industrial chemical made from lithium to make batteries – very valuable. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the average U.S. price was $13,000 per metric ton last year.

And there are tons of lithium – millions of tons – in Nevada.

“We're developing one of the world's largest lithium deposits,” says Alexi Zawadzki, CEO of Lithium Nevada.

He's talking about his company's Thacker Pass mining project in northern Nevada's rural Humboldt County.

Larry Zulch says every option is on the table – in terms of battery storage and other renewable energy technologies.

“Lithium has a role to play. Hydrogen has a role to play. But what we need is to continue to push a new vision of the future,” he says.

Nevada's Vast Stores Of Lithium Could Fuel The Energy Transition. But At What Cost? | KUNC