Salton Sea, California – A massive lithium discovery beneath California’s Salton Sea has sparked a race to unlock what some consider America’s best chance at lithium independence. The US Department of Energy confirmed in late 2023 that approximately 18 million metric tons of lithium, valued at around $540 billion, are trapped in the geothermal brine beneath the shrinking lake in Imperial Valley.
The discovery, one of the world’s largest lithium brine deposits, has the potential to supply enough lithium for 375 million electric vehicle batteries. Experts believe it could make the United States self-sufficient in lithium, a key component in batteries, smartphones, and renewable energy storage.
“This is one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world,” said Michael McKibben, a geologist at UC Riverside. “It could make the U.S. completely self-sufficient and stop importing through China.”
Governor Gavin Newsom has dubbed the region “Lithium Valley,” and federal officials say it has the potential to solidify the United States’ leadership in clean energy. Three companies—Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), EnergySource Minerals, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables—are driving development near the Salton Sea.
CTR’s flagship Hell’s Kitchen project was recently approved after a California judge determined that its environmental review met legal requirements. However, local nonprofits such as Comite Civico del Valle (CCV) and Earthworks argue that the approval process ignored important environmental and community concerns. They have filed an appeal.
“This is already a degraded region,” stated Luis Olmedo, Executive Director of CCV. “We are talking about a desert area with high asthma rates, polluted air, and water restrictions from the Colorado River. A project of this size cannot be rubber-stamped.
Critics are concerned about dust pollution, water consumption, hazardous waste, and the possibility of seismic activity. Despite developers’ promises of a “closed-loop system” that will not pollute the air or landfills, many remain skeptical.
According to James Blair, a geography professor at Cal Poly Pomona, the extraction technology is “untested at scale” and the review is unclear about potential emissions such as hydrogen sulfide or radon.
Nonetheless, state leaders remain optimistic. They see Salton Sea lithium as critical to California’s EV transition objectives. Local officials are also pushing to reinvest up to 80% of revenues in Imperial Valley, one of the state’s poorest regions.
CTR’s CEO, Rodney Colwell, expects construction to begin within months and claims the technology is the “cleanest lithium process on the planet.”
Meanwhile, CCV and others want stronger safeguards. “We will exhaust all available legal and public policy channels,” Olmedo declared, “to ensure the people and environment of Imperial Valley are not left behind.”