23 July 2026On 28 April 2026, the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced the publication of a new USGS scientific paper assessing undiscovered lithium oxide deposits in the eastern US Appalachian region. The report shows that the Appalachian region contains up to 2.3 million metric tons of “undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium” across the mountain range. This unexplored lithium is primarily found in pegmatites, large-grained rocks that are similar to granite. According to USGS, 2.3 million metric tons of lithium could meet US annual import rates for an estimated 328 years.