Congressman Ruiz Celebrates the Department of Energy’s Recent Report that the Lithium Valley is a Rich Domestic Lithium Source
Washington D.C. – Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent analysis confirms California’s Salton Sea region to be a rich domestic lithium source:
“The Department of Energy’s analysis on the Lithium Valley confirms what I’ve been saying all along – developing our domestic lithium supply chain at the Salton Sea region in Imperial Valley will play an integral role in decarbonizing the economy, creating good jobs, and strengthening our national security,” said Dr. Ruiz. “Most importantly, this is a huge win for the Imperial Valley, which will greatly benefit from locally producing lithium. I look forward to meeting with stakeholders and working alongside local community members to implement the action this report prompts and to ensure their voices are heard in the process.”
Background:
The United States currently has limited capabilities to extract, refine, and produce domestically sourced lithium, meaning nearly all lithium for U.S. needs must be imported. Geothermal brines, which are a byproduct of geothermal electricity generation, often have high concentrations of minerals like lithium and zinc. While exact concentrations of these minerals depend on the location and surrounding geology, the use of direct lithium extraction (DLE) from geothermal brines offers a promising opportunity to couple clean, renewable electricity with a source of domestic lithium. Findings of the Department of Energy’s analysis are based on the ability to access the entire Salton Sea geothermal reservoir for electricity production, as well as the ability to fully extract lithium resources from resulting geothermal brines.
The Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) has about 400 megawatts (MW) of geothermal electricity-generation capacity installed and is estimated to have the potential for up to 2,950 MW, leaving extensive room to increase geothermal electricity generation while accessing more of the region’s available lithium resources—enabling the United States to meet or exceed global lithium demand for decades. As aforementioned, Lithium Valley has one of the largest deposits of geothermal brine – a hot and concentrated saline solution found 5,232 feet underground. The study also assessed environmental impacts of lithium extraction, including water use, air emissions, and solid waste, and engaged the surrounding community for listening sessions and other discussions to ensure consideration for local concerns and ideas.
The combined subsurface geology and geothermal activity in the Salton Sea’s KGRA result in high concentrations of lithium, and the KGRA has long been eyed as a rich source of the critical mineral. In 2020, the California State Legislature established a commission to investigate and analyze eight topics related to lithium extraction in California. The commission’s final report notes that the Salton Sea KGRA is believed to have the highest concentration of lithium contained in geothermal brines in the world and offers recommendations aimed at expanding geothermal energy and lithium extraction from geothermal brines in the region.