Sept 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy will

take a 5% stake in Lithium Americas ( LAC ) and a separate 5%

stake in the company's Thacker Pass lithium mine joint venture

with General Motors ( GM ), according to a source familiar with

negotiations.

Reuters reported last week that Trump administration

officials were in discussions with Lithium Americas ( LAC ) about an

equity stake in the company as they renegotiated terms of a

$2.26 billion government loan for the mine, slated to become the

largest source of the battery metal lithium in the Western

Hemisphere.