The venture has been in talks to supply Tesla Inc with lithium, a component for batteries to power electric cars, the newspaper reported https://www.ft.com/content/c9760a4e-1a76-11e9-9e64-d150b3105d21, citing people familiar with the company.
Berkshire Hathaway's geothermal wells could produce up to 90,000 tonnes of lithium a year worth $1.5 billion at current prices, the report said, citing a fundraising document.
"We see a lot of interest in getting North American supply as automakers start to get further into electric vehicles," the FT quoted Eric Besseling, a vice president at BHE Renewables, as saying.Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co and Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.