A massive lithium discovery beneath California’s Salton Sea has set off a high-stakes push for what some have implied could be America’s best shot at lithium self-sufficiency.
The U.S. Department of Energy confirmed in late 2023 that an estimated 18 million metric tons of lithium—often called “white gold” on account of its silvery-white appearance and economic importance—valued at roughly $540 billion is trapped in the geothermal brine beneath the Salton Sea, a shrinking lake in Southern California’s Imperial Valley.
The find is one of the largest known lithium brine deposits in the world and could supply enough material for 375 million electric vehicle batteries, potentially making the U.S. self-sufficient in the critical mineral used in batteries, smartphones and renewable energy storage.
“The current geothermal power plants in the field have the capacity to produce 115,000 metric tons per year of [lithium carbonate equivalent], enough to make almost 4 million EVs annually Michael McKibben, of the University of California, Riverside’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, told Newsweek.
“The combination of lithium production from the Salton Sea geothermal field, the Nevada claystones of McDermitt Caldera, and the oil field brines of Arkansas’ Smackover Formation could eventually enable the U.S. to become completely self-sufficient in its Li needs for the growing EV and battery electrical storage system (BESS) markets.”
The Daily Galaxy cited McKibben as having said: “This is one of the largest lithium brine deposits in the world. This could make the United States completely self-sufficient in lithium and stop importing it through China.”
The 120-year-old Salton Sea, accidentally created in 1905 when the Colorado River breached an irrigation canal, has long struggled with environmental degradation. Today, the lake’s rapid evaporation and rising salinity threaten ecosystems and human health through dust pollution. The lithium discovery now promises a dual-edged transformation—economic revival and environmental risk.
“Local community members have been enthusiastic about potential jobs and economic development, especially in an area with disproportionately high unemployment and poverty. However, it is important to acknowledge that many of these promises of jobs and other rhetoric about economic development, often used during project hearings and media outlets, are often not enforceable by local communities,” said Luis Olmedo, Executive Director of Comite Civico del Valle (CCV), a community nonprofit based in Brawley, California.
“Additionally, community members have raised concerns about potential cumulative impacts of this ambitious development project related to water consumption, air quality, hazardous waste, tribal cultural resources, and seismic activity, especially in an arid desert that already has high rates of asthma stemming from air pollution and water allocation cutbacks from the Colorado River.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has described the region as the Saudi Arabia of lithium mining, with the surrounding area being branded as “Lithium Valley.” If harnessed successfully, it could cement California’s leadership in clean energy technology. Local officials are pushing for up to 80 percent of revenues from lithium extraction to be invested back into one of the state’s poorest regions to improve infrastructure and create jobs, according to the Investing News Network.
Three main companies are currently pursuing projects under development near the Salton Sea, Olmedo told Newsweek:
- EnergySource Minerals, which secured environmental approval in 2021 to install a DLE facility at the Hudson Ranch geothermal plant, now operated by Cyrq
- Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables, which manages 10 of the 11 existing geothermal plants in the area
- Controlled Thermal Resources, which received approval from Imperial County in 2024 to begin the first phase of its seven-stage geothermal lithium project, known as Hell’s Kitchen
Despite optimism surrounding the potential economic upsides, some of the projects are not without criticisms. One lawsuit filed by CCV and Earthworks, an environmental nonprofit, argued that the Hell’s Kitchen project’s environmental review failed to account for potential air and water hazards. A trial court denied the suit in February 2025, but an appeal is pending, Olmedo said.
Despite reassurances from developers that their process is a “closed-loop system” free from landfill waste or air pollution, concerns have persisted over potential damage to already fragile air quality. The lakebed emits toxic dust linked to asthma and other respiratory issues in surrounding communities, and expanded mining could make things worse.
Geopolitical complications are also a factor. As Investing News Network reported, China—currently the world’s largest lithium producer—recently took steps to restrict exports on sorbents, a key component in lithium extraction, raising questions about supply chain vulnerabilities for the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Jeff Marootian emphasized the strategic opportunity in a statement quoted by Daily Mail, saying, the find represents “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a domestic lithium industry at home.”
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