January 24, 2025

Judge Approves Salton Sea Lithium Project, Citing Economic Gains Over Environmental Concerns

By Bob Marra

Rendering of the Hell's Kitchen Geothermal Energy and Lithium Extraction facility cleared for development

A recent judge’s ruling has cleared the way for a massive lithium project near the Salton Sea in California, despite environmental concerns raised by conservationists. The project, proposed by Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), aims to extract lithium from geothermal brine beneath the Salton Sea, which is known to be one of the largest sources of lithium in the United States.

The Hell’s Kitchen 1 plant is the first of as many as seven that CTR plans atop a massive, underground lithium brine reserve.

The ruling comes after years of legal battles and environmental assessments. Opponents argued that the project could harm the fragile ecosystem of the Salton Sea and exacerbate existing environmental issues in the region. However, the judge ultimately sided with the company, stating that the project’s economic benefits outweighed the potential environmental risks.

Lithium is a key ingredient in the batteries that power electric cars — and also store solar and wind energy for times when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. And unlike many other lithium mines, Controlled Thermal’s “Hell’s Kitchen” project — and others planned for the Salton Sea region — is expected to do little environmental damage.

The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs in the region and could help boost the local economy, which has been struggling in recent years. Controlled Thermal expects to employ 480 people during construction and 220 people once Phase One is up and running. The company has a project labor agreement with organized labor, meaning unionized workers will fill those jobs.

Additionally, lithium extraction is seen as crucial for the transition to renewable energy sources, as lithium is a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

While the ruling is a blow to environmentalists, who have long been fighting to protect the Salton Sea, it is seen as a win for proponents of renewable energy and economic development in the region. Only time will tell how the project will impact the environment and the local economy, but the benefits seem to outweigh the risks for now.

 

Related Articles

Related

Share This

Share this post with your friends!