A dried up former boating dock is seen along the Salton Sea Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Desert Shores, Calif. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around California's dying Salton Sea. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. Despite widespread availability in the United States, Nevada has the country's only lithium plant, and U.S. production lags far behind Australia, Chile, Argentina and China. California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global player, though decades of economic stagnation and environmental ruin have left some residents on its receding shores indifferent or wary. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The exterior of the Cal Energy Elmore geothermal power plant is shown near the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Thursday, July 15, 2021, in Calipatria, Calif. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around California's dying Salton Sea. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. Despite widespread availability in the United States, Nevada has the country's only lithium plant, and U.S. production lags far behind Australia, Chile, Argentina and China. California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global player, though decades of economic stagnation and environmental ruin have left some residents on its receding shores indifferent or wary. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Greg Shank hits golf balls onto a dried up boating dock near his home in Salton City, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Shank used to sail a boat on the canals near his property, which have since dried up. Increasing demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium, critical to rechargeable batteries, from geothermal wastewater around the rapidly shrinking body of water. But decades of economic stagnation and environmental ruin have left some nearby residents indifferent or wary. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Birds take flight in the Salton Sea on the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Thursday, July 15, 2021, in Calipatria, Calif. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the rapidly shrinking body of water. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources, walks on the company's property, which will be mined for lithium, in Niland, Calif., near the shores of the Salton Sea, Thursday, July 15, 2021. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the shrinking body of water. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A sign is posted at the end of a road leading to the Salton Sea in Desert Shores, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the shrinking body of water. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Clouds and nearby mountains are reflected in a polluted canal, once used as a boating dock, along the Salton Sea in Desert Shores, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. The Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global player in the production of lithium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Jose Figueroa, with the California Fish and Wildlife Department, drives an air boat on the Salton Sea at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge in Calipatria, Calif., Thursday, July 15, 2021. California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the Salton Sea. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Bartender Rashelle Sundhahl serves a drink at the bar in the Veterans of Foreign Wars building Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Desert Shores, Calif. The community on the shore of the Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, has been through decades of economic stagnation. Now, it's at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Maria Quintero, left, and her son J.J. stand outside the rental apartment they share in Calipatria, Calif., Friday, July 16, 2021. Quintero moved to the region from Mexicali, Mexico, in the early 1960s with her husband Agustin who was a bracero, or a seasonal migrant farm worker. The community near the shore of the Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, has been through decades of economic stagnation. Now, it's at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Greg Shank hits golf balls onto a dried up boating dock near his home in Salton City, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Shank used to sail a boat on the canals near his property, which have since dried up. Increasing demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium, critical to rechargeable batteries, from geothermal wastewater around the rapidly shrinking body of water. But decades of economic stagnation and environmental ruin have left some nearby residents indifferent or wary. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Patrons talks to each other at the bar in the Veterans of Foreign Wars building in Desert Shores, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. The area around the nearby Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. But decades of economic stagnation and environmental ruin have left some nearby residents indifferent or wary. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources, right, and Tracy Sizemore, the company's Global Director of Battery Materials, walk along geothermal mud pots near the shore of the Salton Sea, where the company is mining for lithium, in Niland, Calif., Thursday, July 15, 2021. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the dying body of water. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The West Shores Assembly of God building is lit up at dusk Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Salton City, Calif. The community on the shore of the Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, has been through decades of economic stagnation. Now, it's at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) A dried up portion of the Salton Sea stretches out with a geothermal power plant in the distance in Niland, Calif., Thursday, July 15, 2021. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the rapidly shrinking body of water. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Derek Benson, chief operating officer of EnergySource Minerals, walks on the Featherstone plant in Calipatria, Calif., where the company is producing geothermal energy and mining for lithium Friday, July 16, 2021. Benson says EnergySource Minerals has extracted lithium there on a small scale since 2016 and the company has plans to build a much larger addition for mineral extraction. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Ruben Hernandez, owner of the Buckshot Restaurant in Niland, Calif., serves dinner Thursday, July 15, 2021. The community on the shore of the shrinking Salton Sea has been through decades of economic stagnation. Now, the area is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. Hernandez says backers of the project who come for breakfast tell him he could eventually be feeding 20 to 30 people and delivering lunches to their plant. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Carlene Ness walks on a road along the Salton Sea in Desert Shores, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Ness moved to the area in 1999 with her husband, who has since passed away. They were attracted by the abundant wildlife and the boating docks along the shore, which have since dried up. Longtime residents like Ness miss when eared grebes, cormorants and white and brown pelicans were more abundant. “The noise was awesome,” she said. “That’s what everybody bought for, and we have to fight for it.” (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Off-road vehicles are driven on the property owned by Controlled Thermal Resources, which will be mined for lithium along the Salton Sea, in Niland, Calif., Thursday, July 15, 2021. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around California's dying Salton Sea. The ultralight metal is critical to rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Luis Olmedo, right, executive director of Comite Civico Del Valle, talks to fellow activist John Hernandez inside the Buckshot Restaurant in Niland, Calif., Thursday, July 15, 2021. Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater around the nearby Salton Sea. “How do we end up with this great opportunity before us but at the same time not get burned?” said Olmedo. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Derek Benson, chief operating officer of EnergySource Minerals, stands in front of the Iliad, integrated lithium absorption and desorption machine, used to separate brine extracted from the ground into lithium, Friday, July 16, 2021, in Calipatria, Calif. Benson says the company has extracted lithium there on a small scale since 2016 and plans to build a much larger addition for mineral extraction. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Maria Quintero stands inside the apartment she shares with her son J.J. in Calipatria, Calif., near the Salton Sea, Friday, July 16, 2021. Quintero moved to the region from Mexicali, Mexico, in the early 1960s with her husband Agustin, who was a bracero, or a seasonal migrant farm worker. The Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, has been through decades of economic stagnation. Now, it's at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Meg Ledbetter smiles in front of the house he rents in Salton City, Calif., Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Ledbetter moved to Salton City from Riverside, Calif., five years ago after a stint in prison, to try to start a new life with his partner and their children. The community on the shore of the Salton Sea, California's largest but rapidly shrinking lake, has been through decades of economic stagnation. Now, it's at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global producer of lithium, the ultralight metal used in rechargeable batteries. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
CALIPATRIA, Calif. (AP) — Near Southern California’s dying Salton Sea, a canopy next to a geothermal power plant covers large vats of salty water left behind after super-hot liquid is drilled from deep underground to run steam turbines. The vats connect to tubes that spit out what looks like dishwater, but it’s lithium, a critical component of rechargeable batteries and the newest hope for economic revival in the depressed region.
Demand for electric vehicles has shifted investments into high gear to extract lithium from brine, salty water that has been overlooked and pumped back underground since the region’s first geothermal plant opened in 1982. The mineral-rich byproduct may now be more valued than the steam used to generate electricity.
California’s largest but rapidly shrinking lake is at the forefront of efforts to make the U.S. a major global player in production of the ultralight metal. Despite large deposits in the U.S., Nevada has the country’s only lithium plant, and American production lags far behind Australia, Chile, Argentina and China.
Decades of environmental ruin and failed economic promise have left some residents on the Salton Sea’s receding shores indifferent or wary.
The Salton Sea formed in 1905 after the Colorado River breached a dike and two years of flooding filled a sizzling basin. In the 1950s, the lake thrived as a tourist destination, drawing anglers, boaters and celebrity visitors including Frank Sinatra.
But storms in the 1970s destroyed marinas and resorts. Flooding wrecked many homes in the tiny, former resort town of Bombay Beach, and after the water dried, left an almost apocalyptic atmosphere that has recently attracted artists.
The lake level peaked in 1995 but, with little rain, has since been evaporating faster than Colorado River water seeping downhill through farms can replenish as farmers conserved more water.
Since 2003, the 324-square-mile (839-square-kilometer) lake has shrunk 40 square miles (104 square kilometers), exposing vast lakebed with microscopic wind-blown dust that contributes to poor air quality and asthma.
The sea is a key stopover for migrating birds, but species are declining as the fish they eat become scarce. Carcasses of oxygen-starved tilapia no longer blanket shores periodically with a stench that could reach Los Angeles because there are so few left.
In Salton City, a town of about 6,000, roads curve along empty lots, a legacy of its first developer who stopped construction in 1960. Street signs with idyllic names like Harbor Drive and Sea Shore Avenue mark a barren landscape of cracked pavement.
Pat Milsop, a 61-year-old retired restaurant owner, hits golf balls across a dry canal. His view is filled with dilapidated docks on bone-dry soil that harbored boats when his mother-in-law bought his house in 2004. He is skeptical that lithium will restore some of the lake’s glory.
“Are they going to do something good for the community or just buy up all the land and kick everybody out?” he asks. Nostalgic for livelier days, he plans to move to his farm near Lubbock, Texas.
The lake is at the southern tip of the San Andreas Fault, which has shifting tectonic plates that bring molten material closer to Earth’s surface.
Controlled Thermal Resources Ltd. is building what would be the region's first new geothermal facility in more than a decade and anticipates the $520 million plant would start producing lithium in 2024. In July, General Motors Corp. said it invested in the project as it seeks to eliminate tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles by 2035.
Owners of 11 existing geothermal plants around the lake’s southern shores are retooling for lithium and possibly other brine minerals instead of building from scratch. Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co. has state and federal grants for lithium demonstration projects and says it could begin construction for commercial operations in 2024.
EnergySource LLC opened its geothermal plant in 2012 and its sister company, EnergySource Minerals, has extracted lithium there on a small scale since 2016, said Derek Benson, chief operating officer. It plans to start building a $500 million addition for mineral extraction by the end of March.
Before it is pumped back underground, the brine is “borrowed” for a few hours to extract lithium under a nearby canopy, Benson said.
Extracting lithium from geothermal brine has never been done on a commercial scale. Supporters say it causes less environmental damage than the two dominant production methods: mining for rocks and using cooler brine that bakes under the sun in large ponds for about two years until the water evaporates. The Nevada plant uses evaporation ponds.
The Salton Sea is in Imperial County, which, despite hugely productive land that stocks U.S. supermarkets with winter vegetables, has a poverty rate of 22%, among California’s highest. El Centro, the county seat, perennially has one of the highest unemployment rates among 389 U.S. metropolitan areas.
Ruben Hernandez, 54, has worked for an Imperial Valley landowner since he was 8. He and his wife own a Mexican restaurant in the largely deserted town of Niland near the lake. His wife wants to stay, but “there’s nothing here, no town,” he said.
Lithium project backers who come for breakfast tell him he could eventually be feeding 20 to 30 people and delivering lunches to their plant.
“If they are going to lift this town up, it would be great,” he said.
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