Imperial County Calls for Geothermal Expansion in State Energy Plan
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The Imperial County Board of Supervisors ratified a letter urging the California Energy Commission to expand support for geothermal energy in the 2026 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) Update, the state’s primary energy planning document.
Submitted under the commission’s geothermal proceeding, the letter highlights Imperial County’s more than 40 years of geothermal energy production and positions the region as a key contributor to California’s clean energy future. County officials point to existing geothermal operations in the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resources Area, Heber, South Brawley and East Mesa, which have provided renewable baseload power to the state’s electric grid for decades.
The county also emphasizes the 52,000-acre Lithium Valley Specific Plan, which aims to integrate geothermal energy, direct lithium extraction, critical mineral processing, advanced manufacturing, workforce development and supporting infrastructure into a unified clean energy economy.
Imperial County urges the commission to recognize geothermal energy as strategic infrastructure that supports grid reliability, affordability, decarbonization, economic development and domestic critical mineral supply chains. Unlike intermittent renewable sources, the county notes geothermal energy provides continuous carbon-free electricity while requiring a relatively small land footprint.
The letter argues California faces growing competition from other western states for geothermal and lithium investment and recommends streamlining permitting, expanding transmission infrastructure, strengthening procurement policies and increasing regulatory certainty. County officials also call for prioritizing electricity generated within California to support jobs, manufacturing, tax revenue and long-term economic growth.
Additional recommendations include recognizing geothermal-producing regions as strategic investment areas, modernizing environmental review through expanded permitting efficiencies, strengthening collaboration between state and local governments, and creating a California Geothermal Competitiveness Initiative to coordinate permitting, infrastructure planning, workforce development and investment among state and federal agencies.
The county also encourages greater support for direct lithium extraction and next-generation geothermal technologies while designating integrated geothermal and critical mineral regions as statewide investment priorities.
Imperial County concludes that coordinated investment in geothermal resources can strengthen California’s electric grid, improve affordability, bolster domestic supply chains, create high-quality jobs and accelerate the state’s clean energy transition. The California Energy Commission will consider the county’s recommendations as it prepares the 2026 Integrated Energy Policy Report Update.
