"EV Deal Shows 'Lithium Valley' Could Be For Real"

"If all goes to plan, General Motors Co.'s future electric cars will rely on batteries made from a broiling-hot, brownish fluid that gushes from the California desert.

The contours of that future emerged on Friday, when GM struck a deal with a little-known company called Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to supply the country's largest domestic automaker with tons of lithium from a desolate area called the Salton Sea.

The arrangement is the first concrete sign that 'Lithium Valley,' as its boosters call it — a green industrial ecosystem that produces zero-carbon electricity, battery-grade lithium and lots of jobs — could actually become a thing.

The contract 'is the first of its kind by a major automaker and positive proof of how important this region is to the future of electrifying transportation in the most environmentally responsible way possible,' said Karen Douglas, a member of the California Energy Commission. 'The deal is a significant, encouraging milestone toward realizing the state's lithium valley vision.'"

David Ferris reports for E&E News July 7, 2021.

Source: E&E News, 07/08/2021