Lithium Valley

What is Lithium?

  • Lithium is a metal primarily used in batteries for phones, laptops, electric vehicles.
  • In order to move away from fossil fuels and combat climate change, lithium is a critical component of providing a clean future by powering electric vehicles and helping California reach its climate goals.

Geothermal

  • Geothermal plants are facilities that produce renewable energy by using the steam from hot water underground which spins a turbine which in turn powers a generator to produce electricity.
  • Geothermal Plants have a small physical footprint and they work around the clock, unlike other renewable energies like solar and wind.
  • Lithium will be extracted from the ground using the existing geothermal facilities and there are ongoing talks to expand and build more geothermal facilities
  • There are 11 geothermal plants currently operating in the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area

Lithium Valley

  • Lithium has been discovered in northern Imperial County and it has been named Lithium Valley.
  • The resource area is believed to contain one-third of the global lithium supply.
  • 600,000 tons annually is the estimated amount of lithium that can be extracted.
  • The lithium in the Salton Sea region is derived from a process called direct extraction and is integrated into the geothermal energy generation process, which uses steam from hot water reservoirs about 8,000 feet below the Earth’s surface to produce electricity.
  • Three companies are working to extract lithium through the geothermal process in the Salton Sea, including Energy Source, CAL Energy owned by Berkshire Hathaway, and Australian company Controlled Thermal Resources.
  • Controlled Thermal Resources received a multimillion-dollar investment from General Motors.
  • The extraction of lithium can provide hundreds of jobs for local residents in Imperial Valley

Lithium Valley Commission

Lithium Valley Commission consists of different stakeholders in the region with the intention of analyzing and investigating issues and incentives regarding lithium extraction.

The Lithium Valley Commission includes the following members:

  • Silvia Paz, Chair (ALIANZA COACHELLA VALLEY)
  • Ryan E. Kelley, Vice Chair (IMPERIAL COUNTY SUPERVISOR)
  • Steve Castaneda (Member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules)
  • Rod Colwell (CEO of CONTROLLED THERMAL RESOURCES)
  • Roderic Dolega (FORD EV PURCHASING)
  • Miranda Flores (CALIFORNIA NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY)
  • James C. Hanks (IID)
  • Arthur Lopez (TORRES MARTINEZ DESERT CAHUILLA INDIANS)
  • Luis Olmedo (COMITE CIVICO DEL VALLE, INC.)
  • Frank Ruiz (AUDUBON CALIFORNIA’S SALTON SEA PROGRAM)
  • Manfred Scott (QUECHAN INDIAN TRIBE)
  • Tom Soto (DIVERSE COMMUNITIES IMPACT FUND)
  • Jonathan Weisgall (BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY ENERGY)