(Lithium Valley part of the plan)....Tuesday Governor Gavin Newsom joined President Joe Biden.

They discussed new investments and actions to support California's clean energy sector with community, labor and industry leaders. They outlined historic progress to sustainably develop Lithium resources, a critical component of the advanced batteries needed for zero-emission vehicles, clean electric grids and other renewable energy technologies. They discussed Imperial Valley with some of the largest lithium deposits in the world, specifically underground near the Salton Sea. The region is known as Lithium Valley. The Governor called Lithium Valley a game changer in the nations transition to clean-energy and zero emission vehicles, representing what could be a critical breakthrough in the fight against climate change. The Governor said experts estimate the region could satisfy up to one third of today's global lithium demand. The Governor said he was committed to building out a world class battery manufacturing ecosystem in tandem with lithium production and processing that would increase economic opportunity and deliver quality jobs and community benefits to the region. Berkshire Hathaway Energy renewables also announced this spring they would be breaking ground on a demonstration facility in Imperial County to test the commercial viability of their sustainable lithium extraction process from geothermal brine.