Imperial County Supervisor Ryan Kelley has been elected Vice Chair of the California Lithium Valley Commission.

Kelley was appointed to the Commission to represent “ a local city or county government in the Salton Sea geothermal resource area.” The commission was created to report on findings and recommendations for advancing lithium extraction from geothermal brines in California. Interest in lithium is increasing due to its application in lithium-ion batteries that are used to power portable electronics , electric vehicles and other technology. Lithium is found in the Salton Sea area.