Salton Sea geothermal resource area: Lithium Valley Office of Development.

The Warren-Alquist State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Act establishes the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission) in the Natural Resources Agency. Existing law requires the Energy Commission to undertake a continuing assessment of trends in the consumption of electrical energy and other forms of energy and to analyze the social, economic, and environmental consequences of these trends, and to carry out, or cause to be carried out, under contract or other arrangements, research and development into alternative sources of energy, improvements in energy generation, transmission, and siting, fuel substitution, and other topics related to energy supply, demand, public safety, ecology, and conservation that are of particular statewide importance. This bill would establish, upon appropriation by the Legislature, the Lithium Valley Office of Development in the Energy Commission. The bill would require the office, in consultation with relevant state and local agencies, to coordinate activities related to funding, economic development, construction, manufacturing, technical development, and reclamation of lithium located in the Salton Sea geothermal resource area.