Much of the money would help fund new geothermal energy development around the Salton Sea
The new price tag for restoring the Salton Sea: $3.15 billion. That’s how much money local officials now say they want from California, as detailed in a plan approved Tuesday by the Imperial Irrigation District (IID)’s board of directors. It’s less expensive than a $9 billion plan that died in the state Legislature, and local officials hope it will pressure state officials to live up to their promise to restore the lake.
The $3.15 billion would fund shovel-ready pilot projects and new geothermal energy development around the Salton Sea, California’s largest lake. The money would come from several sources, including fees from companies that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases and the $7.5 billion water bond that voters approved in November.
Much of the money would go toward boosting geothermal energy development. The lake is home to one of the world’s most potent geothermal reservoirs, and local officials have long seen new development as a source of royalty payments to fund long-term restoration. New geothermal plants would also suppress dust by covering exposed lakebed, not to mention contribute to California’s ambitious clean energy goals.