Texarkana Chamber of Commerce hosted 'State of Lithium' luncheon

TEXARKANA, Texas - Texarkana is becoming a major hub for domestic lithium production due to the Smackover Formation, which spans beneath East Texas and Southwest Arkansas.

The Texarkana Chamber of Commerce hosted a "State of Lithium" luncheon to discuss economic growth, infrastructure expansion and job creation.

"Before my dad became governor my family called Texarkana home for nearly 10 years. Today is the 30th anniversary of the day my dad was sworn in as the governor of Arkansas," said Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Sanders was the keynote speaker for the "State of Lithium" event in Texarkana, with more than 400 people in attendance at the luncheon.

Huckabee says lithium has the potential to transform not just south Arkansas, but the entire state.

"I really believe Arkansas is standing on the edge of a transformational change to our economy. We have the potential to supply up to 19 million tons of lithium, which is more than 20% of the global demand," said Sanders.

The event included several industry leaders such as ExxonMobil, EnergyX and Chevron.

Sanders says Arkansas is on the verge of lithium production at several major sites.

"Arkansas is ready to be a leader, not just in lithium extraction, but in upstream and midstream manufacturing as well," said Sanders.

The event also featured expert panels addressing the economic, operational and workforce impacts of the region's expanding lithium industry.

"They are committed to powering a generation of Arkansans who will work in this industry, thrive in this industry, and one day lead in this industry," said Sanders.

Some of the key industry developments in the Texarkana area include Project Lonestar in Hooks, Texas, the Southwest Arkansas Project in Lewisville, Arkansas and Terra-Volta Resources in Miller County.