Nevada approved permits for the Thacker Pass lithium project on February 25, 2022. The planned open-pit mine and processing facility in Humboldt County is not yet producing lithium: in February 2026, its developer said Phase 1 construction was underway. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the project could eventually produce about 40,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate a year—enough material, by the agency’s projection, to support batteries for up to 800,000 electric vehicles annually.
What Nevada approved—and what it did not
Thacker Pass is in Humboldt County, within the McDermitt Caldera. Nevada issued the project’s air, water and mining permits on February 25, 2022. Those permits authorize a proposed mine and processing operation subject to requirements; they are not evidence that the mine is already producing lithium. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) describes the project as an open-pit mine followed by ore crushing, acid leaching and processing into lithium carbonate. NDEP’s project information outlines the permitted project and oversight.
The later milestones are separate from that state approval. In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $2.26 billion loan for the project. In a February 19, 2026 update, Lithium Americas said Phase 1 construction was underway. The loan and construction progress do not change the date of Nevada’s permits.
How much lithium could it produce?
The Department of Energy’s project page gives expected output of approximately 40,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate. DOE says that output could support batteries for up to 800,000 electric vehicles annually. That is an agency estimate of potential annual battery capacity—not a count of cars already powered, a guaranteed production result or a lifetime vehicle total. DOE’s Thacker Pass project page describes the expected output and vehicle equivalent.
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DOE also compares the potential output with avoiding 317 million gallons of gasoline consumption annually. This, too, is an agency projection, not a measured reduction in gasoline use. Actual vehicle deployment and fuel savings would depend on the batteries produced, how they are used and what vehicles they replace.
How the mine and processing plant are designed to work
The planned operation would excavate ore in an open pit, crush it, and use acid leaching to recover lithium for processing into lithium carbonate. NDEP says the project includes an acid plant that will supply sulfuric acid for leaching and generate steam to power the mine. These are elements of the permitted project design, not a description of an operating facility.
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How the project is regulated
NDEP’s answer to “How will the mine be regulated?” is a set of permits and ongoing requirements covering air emissions, water pollution and reclamation. The agency says mining will not be allowed below the water table. That restriction is a permit condition; it does not mean the project has no possible effects on water or other parts of the environment.
- Air: The air permit sets emission limits and requires monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting.
- Water: A water pollution control permit governs the project and must be renewed every five years.
- Reclamation: A mine reclamation permit requires financial assurance for restoration. NDEP’s project permit information says the required assurance exceeds $47 million.
NDEP’s stated conclusion is that the project can protect public health and the environment if it complies with its permits. That is the regulator’s assessment of the permitted controls, not a finding that environmental impacts are absent. Permit terms and project information are available through NDEP’s Thacker Pass page.
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What the project could mean for jobs and federal financing
At loan closing in 2024, DOE estimated approximately 1,800 construction jobs and 360 operating jobs. Those are agency estimates, not a count of jobs already created or a guarantee of future staffing. Lithium Americas separately reported about 950 site personnel at the end of December 2025 and expected the construction workforce to peak at roughly 1,800 in 2026.
DOE announced a $2.26 billion loan in October 2024, made up of $1.97 billion in principal and $289.7 million in capitalized interest. The announced financing is a distinct milestone from the state’s 2022 permits and does not itself establish when production will begin. DOE’s loan announcement provides the financing details.
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Construction status and the company’s target schedule
In its February 19, 2026 update, Lithium Americas said detailed engineering design was 93% complete and procurement was 60% complete as of December 31, 2025. It reported that construction was underway, with approximately 950 people on site at year-end and an expected construction peak of around 1,800 in 2026. The company targeted mechanical completion and project start-up in late 2027, followed by ramp-up through 2028. These are the developer’s targets, not guaranteed dates or confirmation that production has begun. The company’s February 2026 update is the basis for those schedule and progress figures.
CEO Jonathan Evans characterized the progress in that release: “2025 was a pivotal year for Lithium Americas and the Thacker Pass Project with Phase 1 construction well underway,” the company said. That is the developer’s description of its project, not an independent assessment.
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What the headline’s “millions of electric cars” claim means
The headline’s scale is a projection about the project’s potential output, not a report of cars already receiving Thacker Pass lithium. DOE’s specific estimate is up to 800,000 EV batteries per year once the project is producing at expected capacity. Neither that annual equivalent nor the company’s target schedule should be read as a verified outcome. As of the company’s February 2026 update, Phase 1 was under construction, with start-up targeted for late 2027 and ramp-up expected through 2028.
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