One more thing Monkeyshine.
We have plenty of Lithium. In North Carolina, Arkansas, California and Nevada. The Arkansas and CA stores are the Brine and an up and coming tech DLE could make it cost effective.
Alaska is full of rare earths. We don't need the Nickel or Cobalt in the batteries other chemistry's are here, not as energy dense but the work and are fire-runaway proof. Better ones (Lithium Sulfur Iron) are being discussed.
It just takes the balls to extract this stuff, we are so gelded, time to stop globalizing with the freaking ChiComs.
The Lithium, Rare Earth and Uranium Supply chains, guess who had Senate Committees looking into solutions?
U-huh, PDJT. He knew....
Why would our politicians want to do that? It's way too profitable for their kids and ne'er-do-well in-laws.