Demand for lithium—the hottest commodity on the planet and the only commodity to show positive price movement in 2015—are poised to continue on its upward trajectory, becoming the world’s new gasoline and earning the moniker of “White Petroleum”. In addition, the battle for market share in and around this commodity has everyone from major tech players to trend-setting investor gurus vying for a foothold.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory this week said that rooftop solar panels have the potential to generate nearly 40 percent of electricity in the U.S. However, what about the cost of going solar?
Many people ask when the cost of producing power from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels will be equal to or less than buying from the grid – a point called “grid parity” that could accelerate solar adoption.
With lithium prices skyrocketing beyond wildest expectations, talk heating up about acquisitions and mergers in this space and a fast-brewing war among electric car rivals, it’s no wonder everyone’s bullish on this golden commodity that promises to become the “new gasoline”.
Moreover, land grabs, rising price predictions, and expectations of a major demand spike are leaping out of the shadows of a pending energy revolution and a new technology-driven resource era.
As the world celebrates the Paris agreement, after 20 years of fraught meetings, its significance for the future development pathways of the emerging economies of Asia cannot be underestimated. Critically, it will increase the flow of additional public and private finance for vulnerable countries for both low carbon and climate resilient investments. Low-carbon green growth pathways toward a possible 1.5°C limit and 5-year reviews will be played out through the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
Paris climate agreement
Estimates are that household air pollution kills more than 500,000 people in Africa each year. Through solar energy, people can stop using dirty and extremely polluting fuels like kerosene in their homes. However, with domestic solar energy comes an unintended consequence. When the light bulbs switch on, they can attract disease-carrying bugs.
The cost of solar energy continues to fall, so it is no surprise that more people are adopting solar.
This rapid growth of rooftop solar, however, has led many electric utilities to try to apply the brakes. A number have lobbied to change the “net metering” policies that credit consumers for the excess solar power they generate. Does this make sense?
Nevada is booming as new lithium companies rush in to stake out targets and massive business development gets underway, from Tesla to Amazon and Apple. As the state’s southwest corner fills up with new lithium players, Tesla gears up for its battery gigafactory and the world’s largest data center sets up shop, Nevada is poised for one of the greatest economic revival stories of the century.
In an exclusive interview with Oilprice.com, Brian Findlay, President and CEO of Dajin Resources Corp., discusses:
While other commodities are floundering or completely collapsing in this market, lithium—the critical mineral in the emerging battery gigafactory war—is poised to explode, and going forward Nevada is emerging as the front line in this pending American lithium boom.
The age of electrification across the transportation sector, the solar panel revolution, and Tesla’s battery gigafactory are igniting a battle for the cheapest battery. That will transform lithium into a boom-time mineral and the hottest commodity on the energy investor’s radar. It has been easy to take lithium for granted. This wonder mineral is the backbone of our everyday lives, popping up in everything from the glass in our windows to our mountains of electronics.
Miles per Acre per Year
During the late innings of the ICE-age (as in the Internal Combustion Engine age), it has become clear that feeding gasoline and diesel to the next billion new cars is not going to be easy, or cheap. In China alone, 500 million new vehicles expect to jam the roads between now and 2030.
