The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Waterleaf P1 HoldCo, a subsidiary of California-based Lilac Solutions, a $100 million grant to build and operate a commercial lithium extraction and refining facility on the Great Salt Lake’s northeastern shore. The award is part of a $500 million program backing critical mineral processing and battery manufacturing projects to strengthen domestic supply. The initiative is aimed at reducing U.S. reliance on China, which holds more than 90% of global refining capacity.