The Salton Sea is rich in minerals that could help power electric vehicles. However, environmental experts are still concerned it could have devastating consequences.
·
3.3k reads
·
The Lede
In the heart of Imperial Valley, California, a project by Australian firm Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) and Lilac Solutions is setting the stage for a major shift in the availability of lithium in the U.S.—and possibly around the world.
Key Details
- The project takes place in the Salton Sea, a shrinking lake north of the California-Mexico border home to a lithium reserve capable of fulfilling the entirety of the U.S.’s and 40 percent of the world's projected lithium demand.
- The $1.8-billion Hell’s Kitchen lithium-geothermal project will potentially reduce dependency on lithium imports and fuel the growth of electric vehicles.
- The Salton Sea geothermal plant may also offer the opportunity to extract lithium in a less destructive way.