[ramchip]

Assuming this is the main cost, at $5,000/ton it's not so far from existing extraction methods:

> Most of the world’s lithium comes from brine deposits in South America, although companies like Talison also operate hard rock mines in Australia. The cost of extracting a ton from a brine site costs around $2,000 says Paes-Braga while mined ton of lithium costs closer to $4,000. (These are operational costs that do not include capital.)

Of course for those the main expense isn't electricity but labor, etc.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkanellos/2016/08/29/is-t...