A 2023 analysis estimated that lithium in geothermal brines beneath the Salton Sea region could support more than 375 million electric-vehicle batteries—but only under assumptions that include access to the full geothermal reservoir and complete lithium recovery. The lithium is not dissolved in the lake, and the estimate is not a count of batteries already produced or ready to build.
Is the lithium in the Salton Sea?
No. The Salton Sea is the geographic landmark, not the source of the lithium. The resource is dissolved in hot, mineral-rich geothermal brine held in deep bedrock around the southeastern shore, roughly a mile underground. The lake water and the underground brine reservoir are distinct.
The area is known as the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area. “Lithium Valley” is a broader policy and development concept for a regional industry; it is not another name for the lake or a precisely bounded geological deposit. Berkeley Lab’s explanation of the resource and extraction pathway describes the subsurface brine.
What does the 375-million figure mean?
A Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysis funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, announced in 2023, estimated more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium in the Salton Sea geothermal region and said it could potentially support more than 375 million EV batteries with expected technology advances. DOE and Berkeley Lab make clear that this scenario assumes access to the entire geothermal reservoir for electricity production and full extraction of lithium from the brines. It is a modeled resource-potential estimate, not a production forecast or a claim that 375 million vehicles can already be supplied. Berkeley Lab’s December 2023 summary explains the estimate and its assumptions.
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Other figures describe different resource categories and units; they should not be collapsed into a single definitive reserve number:
| Figure | What it describes | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 760 kilotons of lithium | “Proven” category | DOE one-page summary, November 2023; a category label in that summary, not the same measure as the other estimates. |
| 2,600 kilotons of lithium | “Accessible” category | DOE one-page summary, November 2023; not interchangeable with “proven” or “probable.” |
| 3,400 kilotons of lithium | “Probable” with technology advances | DOE one-page summary, November 2023; a resource category, not current recovered product. |
| 4.1 million metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) | Well-characterized portion of the reservoir | Berkeley Lab technical report, November 2023; preliminary modeling. |
| Up to 18 million metric tons LCE | Expanded probable-resource estimate | The same report’s scenario assumes increased porosity and a larger total reservoir to reflect probable resource extent; it says further work is needed. |
The kiloton figures are quantities of lithium; LCE expresses an equivalent quantity of lithium carbonate. The DOE summary’s “proven,” “accessible,” and “probable” labels are its own categories, while the Berkeley Lab report presents modeled LCE scenarios. Neither source supports treating all these numbers as directly equivalent measures of economically recoverable, refined lithium. The 2023 technical report describes its estimates as preliminary.
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How could lithium be extracted from geothermal brine?
The proposed approach links lithium recovery to geothermal power. Wells bring hot brine to the surface; geothermal facilities use its heat to generate electricity. A direct lithium extraction (DLE) step could then separate lithium from the brine before the remaining fluid is reinjected underground. The Berkeley Lab FAQ notes that company processes differ, so DLE is not one single technology.
In 2023, the region had about 400 megawatts (MW) of installed geothermal electricity-generation capacity, with potential estimated by DOE at up to 2,950 MW. Those are electricity-capacity figures, not lithium production totals. DOE’s November 2023 announcement gives the capacity estimates.
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How much lithium was being produced?
Not the amounts suggested by the battery-equivalent estimate. DOE’s November 2023 one-page summary estimated that brine associated with the region’s existing 400 MW of geothermal capacity contained 21,500 tons of lithium annually, but stated that this lithium was not then being recovered. That number is lithium present in brine—not annual output of extracted or battery-grade product. The DOE summary gives the figure and its status at that time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about environmental and community effects?
DOE’s 2023 announcement says the assessment considered water use, air emissions, solid waste, and community concerns, including through listening sessions and other engagement. But those considerations should not be mistaken for a mature operating record. Berkeley Lab’s FAQ, last modified April 12, 2024, said no lithium-extraction facilities were then operating commercially in the region. It explains that impact projections relied on assumptions, established chemical processes, and company environmental documents rather than observed performance from commercial plants.
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California’s Lithium Valley Vision frames a proposed regional approach that combines lithium recovery and geothermal expansion with conservation, economic development, and benefits for local residents. A large modeled resource does not by itself guarantee jobs, public revenue, community consent, or acceptable environmental performance.
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