In The News

California’s energy future hinges on lithium, from solar panels to batteries. Here’s what we know.
California has committed to 60 percent renewable energy by 2030. With an urgent need for lithium to help facilitate this transition, Pat Dobson is leading a project to investigate lithium extraction in California’s Salton Sea region, and was featured in a CapRadio Q&A to discuss the research details.

Clean energy depends on lithium. Can California supply it?
As the United States seeks to wean itself from fossil fuels, attention is turning to California and its vast reservoir of lithium – an essential component of rechargeable batteries used for electric vehicles, mobile phones, and to store energy from wind and solar power.

Quantifying California’s Lithium Valley: Can It Power Our EV Revolution?
The Salton Sea geothermal field in California potentially holds enough lithium to meet all of America’s domestic battery needs, with even enough left over to export some of it. But how much of that lithium can be extracted in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way? And how long will the resource last? These are just a few of the questions that researchers hope to answer in a new project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Can the Salton Sea geothermal field prevent the coming lithium shortage?
University of California, Riverside scientists will join a first-of-its-kind effort to map out California’s so-called “Lithium Valley,” and learn whether it can meet America’s urgent demand for lithium in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.

Where Is There More Lithium to Power Cars and Phones? Beneath a California Lake.
The U.S. race to secure a material known as ‘white gold’ turns to the Salton Sea, where energy companies hope to extract lithium from a geothermal reservoir. (WSJ subscription may be required to view article)

Jan 19: Critical Minerals and Materials Town Hall
A Lab wide town hall was held on January 19th, 2022 to prepare LBNL for multiple upcoming funding calls likely to cover topics specified in the DOE Critical Mineral and Materials Strategy and the FCAB Battery Blueprint. Topics included previous lab wide CMM efforts, new and emerging areas of interest in CMM, and sustaining an LBL vision for CMM.
Note: presentation viewable by LBL staff only. For questions, please email mwhittaker@lbl.gov.