Imperial Valley's lithium reserves could power a global energy transition. But will they also fuel local economies?

In California's Imperial Valley, local history is filled with broken economic development promises.

In the 1900's, the introduction of irrigation was supposed to bring a flourishing agriculture industry. But an irrigation mishap accidentally created a massive lake called the Salton Sea. This was then promoted as a tourist attraction, but that failed as the lake became polluted with agricultural runoff.

Now, toxic dust from the drying lakebed contributes to poor local air quality and childhood asthma rates twice the national average. And Imperial County ranks among the most economically distressed places in California.

However, the region also happens to sit atop massive lithium reserves large enough to provide for a third of all global demand. And as the renewable energy transition drives global demand for lithium and other minerals to power battery packs, investors eyeing the Imperial Valley have already rebranded it as "Lithium Valley." Public officials are heralding a new era of prosperity. But are local fortunes really changing? Or will the new "lithium gold rush" follow old, familiar patterns?

UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies and Sociology Professor Chris Benner explores these issues alongside his frequent collaborator, Professor Manuel Pastor of the University of Southern California, in their new book, "Charging Forward: Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles, and a Just Future."

Through careful analysis and reporting, the book charts possibilities for how movement politics, federal policy, and global supply chains could all influence outcomes in the Imperial Valley over the course of a lithium boom.

"The people of these communities deserve to benefit from the wealth of natural resources in their region, but that result is far from guaranteed," Benner said. "In fact, historically, resource extraction around the world has more often harmed communities by creating the same types of environmental degradation, labor exploitation, and racial injustice that people in the Imperial Valley are all too familiar with. With lithium, there's a chance to do things differently, but that's going to require a concerted effort."

Benner and Pastor recommend strong partnerships between industry, local governments, and community and labor groups in the Imperial Valley to ensure remediation of any environmental impacts from lithium extraction and to guarantee regional development benefits. They envision a future where local communities receive a dividend from lithium extraction and well-paying union jobs are created for the long term, including by co-siting related industries like battery and electric vehicle manufacturing in the region.

Benner, who is a regional planner by training, has been studying the possibilities for lithium extraction in the Imperial Valley for years. His research often examines the relationships between technological change, regional development, and the structure of economic opportunity, focusing on regional labor markets and the transformation of work and employment. His applied policy work centers strategies for promoting regional equity. In the Imperial Valley, he sees an important test case for the concept of a "just transition."

"As we work to address climate change and shift to renewable energy, we have opportunities to do that in ways that increase equity in our societies alongside improving environmental health," Benner said. "In the Salton Sea region, there are already really unique opportunities to extract lithium in the cleanest, most efficient way possible. So if industry in this region can also build better, more mutually beneficial relationships with communities, it could become a model for the world."

Provided by University of California - Santa Cruz