USA, California:

Opinion - Federal Boost Could Help the Salton Sea (The Desert Sun)

(Courtesy Omar Ornelas/The Desert Sun)

The fact that the Salton Sea is getting some national attention is encouraging. This week a congressional hearing on the Salton Sea was held in Washington D.C. where officials discussed the promise of renewable energy projects that could create a revenue stream to pay for mitigation projects.

Kevin Kelley, general manager of Imperial Irrigation District, expressed his frustration that 10 years after approval of the largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer in the nation’s history no resolution of what to do at the Salton Sea is in sight. But he expressed optimism that the development of renewable resources — primarily geothermal — could support an essential revenue stream.

“There’s up to 2,000 megawatts that have been identified but are untapped,” he said at the hearing. “The full spectrum of renewable resources could not only provide a funding stream but could serve as mitigation for the exposed playa.”

Already, 11 geothermal plants operate around the sea. A study commissioned by IID estimated that renewable energy projects (especially geothermal energy) could generate $4.1 billion over the next three decades. Included in that figure is $1.5 billion from the extraction of minerals such as lithium, which is used in batteries that power everything from digital devices to electric cars.

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