Mining & Mineral Extraction

Emerging Industries

With affordable and abundant natural resources, Imperial Valley is an ideal location for mining and mineral extraction facilities. Imperial Valley is known as one of the most geologically diverse areas in the southwestern U.S.

Imperial Valley has a long history of gold mining and is known to have one of the earliest recorded mining activities in the state, dating as far back as 1780. Today, there are gold mines still in operation.

Imperial Valley has been recognized over the last two decades as a global leader in geothermal energy production, due to the region's geothermal activity and capacity. Imperial Valley has the greatest geothermal capacity in North America and is ranked #2 worldwide. Now, this geothermal resource is set to provide the ideal source of lithium for battery manufacturing of electric vehicles. Imperial Valley is now internationally recognized as "Lithium Valley" for its promising future.

Building Lithium Valley

Report by Energy Nexus, published 2020.

Global demand for lithium is projected to grow tenfold in the next decade, but current domestic U.S. lithium production is de minimis on the global scale. In 2019, more than 95% of global lithium extracted came from Australia, Chile, Argentina and China despite significant lithium reserves in the United States. Located in the far southeast corner of California, Imperial County is home to the Salton Sea geothermal resource area and the site of Lithium Valley. Industry experts estimate the region could satisfy more than one-third of today’s global lithium demand...

In the News
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Conceptual of Controlled Thermal Resources Hell's Kitchen in Calipatria