Commercial Roofing Contractors in Nevada, TX

Tesla Inc. plans to process lithium at a plant it is building in Texas as demand for the key material used to make electric vehicle batteries ramps up around the globe.

Elon Musk, CEO of the Austin, Texas-based electric vehicle maker, said his company is focusing on refining the material instead of mining it. The lithium refinery plant is being built near Corpus Christi, Texas, about 200 miles south of Tesla's headquarters in Austin, where property records show Tesla bought at least 1,600 acres last month.

Musk was speaking at Tesla's investor day this week and announced plans to build a new vehicle assembly plant in Monterrey, Mexico, and expand production at its existing factories, including those in California, Nevada and Texas.

He said lithium is a common element and there is no threat of it running out. The problem with lithium, according to Musk, is it is difficult to refine and process. This means that means no one — not a country nor an automobile manufacturer — has a monopoly on lithium, Musk said.

Demand for lithium has been growing among electric vehicle battery manufacturers in recent months, mostly because of an increase in sales for and the anticipated demand of electric vehicles. The increased demand for lithium also means a significant jump in costs. A recent report on lithium battery manufacturing by McKinsey found the cost of lithium skyrocketed 550% between 2021 and 2022.

McKinsey also reported that about 98% of lithium production in 2020 occurred in Australia, China and Latin America.

Lithium Refinery

The lithium refinery plant in Robstown, Texas, could start production by the end of the year, Tesla's executives said. The plant is expected to have an annual capacity of 50 gigawatt hours of electric vehicle battery production, according to Drew Baglino, Tesla's senior vice president of powertrain.

A factory generating one gigawatt hour could produce enough batteries each year to power between 10,000 and 20,000 electric vehicles, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. So, Tesla's plans to generate 50 gigawatt hours a year at the South Texas plant could theoretically power up to 1 million electric vehicles a year.

Tesla, which produced 1.3 million vehicles in 2022, has a goal of selling 20 million electric vehicles by 2030, according to the investor day presentation.

The South Texas plant would process lithium and other raw materials that are mined elsewhere. For example, Tesla recently agreed to buy spodumene concentrate from a mine in the Canadian province of Quebec. Spodumene concentrate is a source of lithium and a necessary raw material for electric vehicle batteries.

Tesla Deal for Lithium From Quebec Could Intensify Housing Shortage in Northern Mining Towns

Tesla applied and was approved for tax breaks for its proposed $375 million lithium refinery in South Texas last year with the local county commission and school district. The acreage Tesla purchased in February is at State Highway 77 and County Road 28, Nueces County property records show.

Once processed, battery-grade lithium hydroxide will be transported by truck and rail to Tesla's various battery manufacturing sites that support its supply chain, the company said in its application with the Robstown Independent School District.

The size of the lithium plant in Robstown was not immediately clear. Tesla didn't respond to requests for comment.

Separately, officials in Nevada approved $330 million in tax breaks Thursday for Tesla's plans to invest $3.6 billion to expand its operations in the state, Reuters reports.

Nevada Sports Net columnist Chris Murray breaks down Nevada’s football game against Texas State on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium with a position-by-position analysis.

Nevada (0-3) at Texas State (2-1)

When: Saturday, 4 p.m. Pacific time

Where: Bobcat Stadium (capacity 30,008)

Surface: FieldTurf

Weather: High of 98; low of 76; 3 percent chance of rain

TV/Radio: ESPN+/105.7 FM

Online: ESPN+

Betting line: Texas State by 17; total of 60

All-time series: Nevada leads, 2-0

Last matchup: Nevada won 38-14 on Sept. 3, 2022 (in Reno)

Position-by-position

Quarterback: Texas State’s TJ Finley is an Auburn transfer who began his career at LSU. He’s a huge human (6-7/246) known more for his arm than legs, although he has three rushing touchdowns this year. He’s completing 68 percent of his passes for 760 yards, six touchdowns and no picks. Nevada’s Brendon Lewis must continue to use his legs, his biggest asset, while improving the intermediate pass game. Edge: Texas State

Running backs: Texas State doesn’t have a lead back. It uses a committee with six players, including two quarterbacks, with double-digit carries but none more than 25, and that doesn’t include Jahmyl Jeter, who has four rushing scores on nine attempts. Houston Christian University transfer Ismail Mahdi leads the team with 183 yards and three scores. Nevada’s backs are averaging 3.3 ypc. Edge: Texas State

Wide receivers/tight end: Six Texas State players have a touchdown catch, so the Bobcats spread the ball around. Kole Wilson transferred in from Incarnate Word where he was a freshman All-American and leads Texas State in catches (13) and yards (184). Wazzu transfer Joey Hobert (11/154/1) is a top target, too. Only Jamaal Bell (21/209/1) has more than six catches among Pack wideouts. Edge: Texas State

Offensive line: Nevada’s line is coming off its strongest game yet, with Joey Capra subbing at starting right guard for Josh Grabowski. The Wolf Pack got a solid push against a Big 12 defensive line (Kansas) last week. Texas State’s line includes three transfers from Incarnate Word, including two all-league standouts, plus Oklahoma transfer Brey Walker. It’s a solid group (5.3 ypc). Edge: Texas State

Defensive line: Texas State already has 14 sacks in three games, including 11 in the last two weeks. DE Sam Latham (6-7/275) is an Incarnate Word transfer who is a high-production player. This unit also has been stout against the run, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry. Nevada’s line has just three sacks in three games, but the group was strong versus Kansas’ excellent rushing attacking last week. Edge: Texas State

Linebackers: Nevada’s Drue Watts is coming off his best game of the season while Tongiaki Mateialona is second on the team with 16 stops. Jackson LaDuke (knee) is expected to be available for this game, and Stone Combs and Davion Blackwell have earned regular snaps. For Texas State, SMU transfer Brian Holloway and Marshall transfer Dan Foster Jr. have combined for 43 stops. Edge: Nevada

Secondary: Neither secondary unit is strong. Texas State is allowing 304 passing yards per game and Nevada 354.7 passing yards per game. The Bobcats rank 97th in the nation in pass efficiency defense and the Wolf Pack dead last at 133. It is one of 12 FBS teams without an interception. S Shawn Holton, another Incarnate Word transfer, is the top secondary player (20 tackles, one INT, two FF). Edge: Texas State

Special teams: Texas State is averaging 29.4 yards per kick return with the Bobcats’ 353 kickoff return yards ranking first nationally. It’s a dangerous unit. P Seamus O’Kelly is a solid punter while K Mason Shipley is a first-year starter who isn’t battle tested but has a big leg (career long of 54). Nevada’s coverage units have been good, but the return game hasn’t provided much yet. Edge: Texas State

Coaching: G.J. Kinne might not know how to pronounce Nevada, but he can coach. He led Incarnate Word to the FCS semifinal in his lone season there – beating Nevada in the process – before getting the Texas State job, where he’s apparently working similar magic. The Bobcats upset Baylor as a 26.5-point underdog in its season opener. He also was Hawaii’s offensive coordinator in 2020 when the Rainbow Warriors upset the Wolf Pack. Ken Wilson looks for his first road win since his debut game at Nevada. Edge: Texas State

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter at @ByChrisMurray.

President Biden on Tuesday proclaimed two vast swaths of land — Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada, and Castner Range in West Texas — as national monuments, a designation that preserves a total of more than 500,000 acres of land from new development.

"We're protecting the heart and the soul of our national pride. We're protecting pieces of history, telling our story that will be told for generations upon generations to come," Biden said at a conservation summit.

Biden had pledged to conserve more land when he took office. But lately, he has come under intense criticism from environmental groups for approving a new oil drilling project in Alaska. Some environmentalists argued the Willow project violated the administration's climate and conservation goals, even though the administration also announced it will prevent or limit oil drilling in 16 million acres in Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.

Biden's first new national monument was Camp Hale - Continental Divide, which he designated in Colorado in October.

In Nevada, the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument — also known as Spirit Mountain — is considered sacred by a dozen tribes. There are petroglyphs and other artifacts that show how people traveled through the area for more than 10,000 years. Advocates say the desigation will help preserve ancestral native lands.

More than 506,000 acres in size, the mountains and valleys are home to one of the world's largest Joshua tree forests, and provides habitat for desert bighorn sheep, desert tortoise, migratory birds, endangered bats and Gila monster lizards.

"It's a place of reverence, its a place of spirituality, and it's a place of healing, and now it will be recognized for the significance it holds and be preserved forever," Biden said.

@POTUS @JoeBiden is expected to designate #AviKwaAme a national monument. Today on @180099Native, we get an update on the sacred space also known as Spirit Mountain with Alan O'Neill from @NPCA and Taylor Patterson from @nva_nevada.https://t.co/wTbIQKXNop pic.twitter.com/4NZIFZJ2d0

— nativeamericacalling (@180099native) March 13, 2023

Indigenous groups and state and local leaders applauded the move.

"This land is considered sacred to tribes who trace their creation story to this land and it deserves to be protected and those tribes have been involved in this effort to protect Avi Kwa Ame for years," said Taylor Patterson, executive director of Native Voters Alliance Nevada.

But Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, who took office in January, complained that he was not consulted, calling the monument a "historic mistake." He said the protections would put rare earth mineral projects and other long-planned development at risk.

The White House said it reached out to Lombardo's office in January and said the Interior Department held public and private meetings and consultations in the state ahead of the announcement.

Since I took office, the Biden White House has not consulted with my administration about any of the details of the proposed Avi Kwa Ame national monument which, given the size of the proposal, seems badly out of step. My full statement on the designation below. pic.twitter.com/lwlrDUyy3J

— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) March 21, 2023

In Texas, Biden will preserve the Castner Range National Monument, which comprises about 6,600 acres of land within the city limits of El Paso. It is part of Fort Bliss, and was a training site until 1966.

It's known for waves of yellow and orange poppies in the spring. "When you see it, it's just breathtaking," Biden said. "The people of El Paso have fought to protect this for 50 years. Their work has finally paid off."

The site has ancient rock art, cultural deposits and historic military locations. The land needs to be remediated because of unexploded munitions.

Advocates pushing to make Castner Range a national monument have argued it would increase access to nature for underserved communities nearby.

"Once it is safe for public access following remediation of military munitions ... Castner Range will become a natural classroom offering unique opportunities to experience, explore, and learn from nature in a unique setting that is close to a major urban center," Biden said in his official proclamation for the monument.

Biden also started the process to designate a new marine sanctuary he said would be the largest on the planet around the Pacific islands southwest of Hawaii. The sanctuary will protect 777,000 square miles of islands, reefs and diverse marine life — an area he said was three times the size of Texas.

The president also said the White House will release its first United States Ocean Climate Action Plan. The plan includes offshore wind farming, land and water conservation and a strategy for reducing international shipping emissions.

Nevada vs Texas State Odds

Saturday, Sept. 23

7 p.m. ET

ESPN+

Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NCAAF odds here.

The winless Wolf Pack head to San Marcos to take on a Texas State program that is surging on offense.

This is a rematch in two ways. Last year, Nevada beat the Bobcats in Reno but lost to new Texas State coach G.J. Kinne when he was at FCS Incarnate Word.

Texas State is favored by 17, and the metrics expect the Bobcats to win going away. But what’s the best way to actually bet Nevada vs. Texas State game? Let’s look at the odds and make a pick in the NCAAF betting preview for Saturday, Sept. 23.

Things aren't going well for football at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Wolf Pack have lost 13 straight games and haven't won since Week 2 of last season — against Texas State.

But that was a different Texas State team, one that was limping to the end of the Jake Spavital era. The week after that win, Nevada lost, 55-41, to now-Texas State head coach G.J. Kinne’s Incarnate Word team.

Brendon Lewis, a transfer from Colorado, starts at quarterback for Nevada. He’s not a good passer and has made two Big-Time Throws and seven Turnover-Worthy Plays this season. His QBR sits at 29.0. He can get around and move, but he's also liable to take sacks (20% career pressure-to-sack ratio for his career), which undermine the good things he does with his legs.

Nevada has scored only five touchdowns through three games, and its two leading tailbacks — Sean Dollars and Ashton Hayes — are averaging only 3.54 yards per carry.

The defense might be even worse (at least the offense has been able to generate some big plays via Lewis’s rushing) as there's no metric where Nevada stands out. The Wolf Pack are average in creating Havoc (38th in FBS), but everything else is outside the top 100.

This might be one of the most forgiving defenses in the FBS this season.

While Deion Sanders has rightfully received heaps of praise for the instant turnaround in Boulder, Kinne similarly flipped his roster.

His new-look team beat Baylor in Week 1, struggled with a quality UTSA defense and then destroyed FCS Jackson State in Week 3.

Kinne’s system — a spread, QB-run, high-tempo system — is designed to create big plays and TJ Finley is thriving in it. The Auburn transfer has completed 68% of his passes for 760 yards. He has a 76.8 QBR with six touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also chipped in three scores on the ground.

The offense is also well-balanced. The Bobcats are 27th in Success Rate and 21st in explosive plays. More important, they're tops in Finishing Drives. They also do all this quickly and rank 11th in seconds per play.

The defense has been average and is susceptible to the pass, but we already discussed Nevada’s lack of a passing attack. Meanwhile, Texas State’s run defense is solid.

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Nevada and Texas State match up statistically:

Nevada is a huge underdog for a reason. It hasn't won a football game in over a year, the QB play is uninspiring and there aren't any encouraging underlying metrics.

Texas State’s offense has all the matchup advantages and a tempo advantage that will lead to a lot of scoring opportunities.

My favorite play is to take the Texas State team total over, which is currently 38.5 at DraftKings. This team is going into the 40s against Nevada.

The metric I keep coming back to is Finishing Drives. Nevada’s defense ranks 128th in that metric, while Texas State’s offense is first. The Bobcats will put the ball in the end zone.

Pick: Texas State Team Total Over 38.5 (Play to 39.5)

The Nevada Wolf Pack tackle the Texas State Bobcats in a Week 4 nonconference college football matchup on Saturday, September 23 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET with a live TV broadcast on ESPN Plus.

• You can watch the Nevada vs. Texas State football game live online on ESPN+.

LATEST LINE, POINT SPREAD AND BETTING ODDS

Spread: TSU -17 | UNR +17

Moneyline: TSU -905 | UNR +580

Over/Under: 59.5

• Check the latest sports betting offers, promo codes for this week’s games

HOW TO WATCH

What: The Nevada Wolf Pack (0-3) meet the Texas State Bobcats (2-1) in a nonconference college football scuffle.

When: Saturday, September 23 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET

Where: Bobcat Stadium | San Marcos, Texas

TV channel: ESPN+ (Not available on traditional broadcast TV, only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platform. Here’s a look at how you can watch ESPN+ live on your TV.)

Watch live stream online: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $10 on ESPN+ (It’s just $9.99/month or $99.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime.)

More information on how to stream live TV, sports events and movies on the cheap:

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