California's Imperial Valley, home to vast geothermal lithium reserves, was promised an economic transformation but faces significant delays. Governor Newsom and industry leaders once touted the potential for thousands of jobs and a domestic battery supply chain from the Salton Sea's "Lithium Valley." Progress has stalled due to a combination of political friction, unproven extraction technology, low global lithium prices, and lawsuits from environmental groups.
Local tensions exist over water use, potential air quality impacts from a shrinking Salton Sea, and how to ensure development benefits the high-poverty region. While the long-term potential for jobs and energy independence remains, experts now estimate it could take a decade or more for commercial lithium production to begin, leaving residents waiting for the promised boom.