Imperial County, California, sits atop one of the world's richest stores of geothermal brines that can yield battery-grade lithium, a metal indispensable to electric vehicles, grid storage, and advanced electronics. In this report, the authors present the results of a workforce and economic development needs assessment aimed at exploring the potential for building out a robust lithium supply chain in Imperial County, California.

Empowering Imperial County

A Comprehensive Workforce and Economic Development Strategy for Harnessing the Lithium Opportunity

Elie Alhajjar, Peter Nguyen, Alexis Gable, Ashley Woo, Lester Ledgister, Jr., AK Keskin, Amanda Perez, Yoselín Mayoral

ResearchPublished Nov 25, 2025

Imperial County, California, sits atop one of the world's richest stores of geothermal brines that can yield battery-grade lithium, a metal indispensable to electric vehicles, grid storage, and advanced electronics. Lithium, a lightweight alkaline metal historically used in ceramics, glassmaking, lubricating greases, and air purification, has emerged as an indispensable resource in energy storage technologies. The expansion of lithium extraction and onshoring of related processes could generate a wealth of direct jobs, alongside significant employment growth in electric vehicle assembly and associated manufacturing. Although the United States currently operates only one active lithium mine (specifically, in Nevada), several U.S. regions contain deposits that could significantly bolster domestic production and supply chain resilience, including the Salton Sea region in Imperial County, California, which holds the potential to meet a sizable portion of current and future global lithium needs.

This report addresses five objectives and establishes a plan of action for the next decade and beyond. Through data analysis, stakeholder input, and comparative case studies, the authors assess and understand the county's capacity to meet the needs of the lithium extraction industry and chart a path that maximizes community benefit over the next decade and reverberates far beyond county lines. Their findings indicate that lithium extraction can be a transformative economic driver for Imperial County. However, realizing its full potential will depend on early action to close skill gaps, accelerate infrastructure build-out, ensure transparent benefit-sharing, and coordinate state-local incentives that should attract the broader battery supply chain.

Key Findings

Lithium extraction could be Imperial County's largest jobs engine in decades

  • The three announced projects collectively forecast about 700 permanent operations jobs and 1,000 construction jobs.

A fully built battery value chain is possible but not guaranteed

  • Lithium extraction is the first step in battery production; material refining, cell assembly, pack integration, and recycling could follow. Ancillary industries may also be possible in the region, such as data centers.

Spillover growth would extend far beyond lithium extraction

  • Research shows that large resource projects (e.g., a lithium mine) typically lift employment and earnings in adjacent fields (e.g., construction, retail, professional services, logistics, housing).

Imperial County can supply many, but not all, of the required workers

  • The low number of county residents with bachelor's degrees (16 percent) leaves gaps in the labor pool for chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineering and business specialties.

Education providers face planning uncertainty

  • Colleges and training centers lack firm data on the number, timing, and skills of jobs that will materialize.

Infrastructure gaps could slow economic gains

  • Rising rents may price out existing residents unless affordable units are built in conjunction with hiring.
  • Weak transit links and deteriorated rural roads hinder existing commutes within the county; thousands of daily plant trips would exacerbate congestion and limit job access for nondrivers.

The policy landscape is favorable, but battery manufacturing faces hurdles

  • California Environmental Quality Act timelines, high energy and water costs, and competition from other states could deter investors unless local permitting is streamlined and cost offsets are offered.

Recommendations

  • Encourage industry, government, and labor partners to fill as many lithium-related positions as possible with Imperial County residents.
  • Align colleges, unions, and companies around shared curricula, apprenticeship cohorts, and lifelong learning credits in a coordinated effort to train local workers.
  • Turn resource momentum into a broader industrial base: A county investment fund, fast-tracked concierge services, and a supplier-match database should lower entry costs for cathode, agriculture technology, logistics, and clean energy manufacturers.
  • If lithium extraction becomes commercial, a share of project revenues from the lithium extraction excise tax should be earmarked by Imperial County for improving services and infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, universal broadband, zero-fare transit shuttles, and an endowment fund.

Topics

Document Details

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Alhajjar, Elie, Peter Nguyen, Alexis Gable, Ashley Woo, Lester Ledgister, Jr., AK Keskin, Amanda Perez, and Yoselín Mayoral, Empowering Imperial County: A Comprehensive Workforce and Economic Development Strategy for Harnessing the Lithium Opportunity. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2025. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3836-1.html.
BibTeX RIS

Research conducted by

This project was sponsored by the Imperial County Workforce Development Board and supported by the California Workforce Development Board, in coordination with the California Employment Development Department and conducted in the Infrastructure and Justice Program of RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure.

This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.

RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.