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produce objective opinions, there are few other sources besides environmental nonprofits to assist with such efforts. The community organizations interviewed suggest the limited amount of accessible information about DLE hampers their ability to advocate for policies on the behalf of community members. STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND CONCERNS The economic benefits of a nascent and burgeoning lithium-ion battery industry have regional implications. Despite the possibility of new industries and a new labor market, there are strong skeptics about how and if lithium production can bring about environmentally safe and equitable outcomes for the region. Expanding Economy: Lithium Valley Agglomeration There were mixed reactions from stakeholders to the expansion of geothermal energy and lithium production in the Lithium Valley, characterized by a combination of optimism and caution. As a county with one of the highest levels of poverty in the state (Public Policy Institute of California 2021), stakeholders explicitly said Imperial County needs more employment opportunities. A mineral and extraction researcher working on multiple DLE projects noted, “we could produce thousands of pretty high paying jobs down there which would benefit those communities tremendously.” Going further they said, “the tax revenues, both at the local, county, state, federal levels, could be funneled back into those communities to help them with their underlying issues including infrastructure needs.” These jobs would be in geothermal and lithium production, but more importantly in battery manufacturing, which will provide more jobs. One European battery manufacturer has already signed an agreement that they will build and locate a $4 billion 54-gigawatt-hours battery factory in the Imperial Valley (Shultz 2022). Multiple stakeholders suggested extraction and battery manufacturing were just the beginning of the lithium industry in the region. Such jobs would be contingent on workforce development programs to train new workers, and to retrain older residents to transition from existing occupations. Stakeholders familiar with the Imperial Valley Economic Opportunity Investment Plan, which outlines potential industry growth in the future, suggest key policies from the government should focus on workforce development programs and the return of revenue flow to the communities. Across all stakeholders interviewed, all believed there is a real benefit to the community but cautioned that those benefits stem from how the federal, state, and local governments administer their plans. Infrastructure and Economic Distribution Concerns The geothermal and lithium extraction industries will increase the industry footprint in the region, though a much larger impact will exist if the lithium-ion battery industry emerges in the area. Imperial County and the surrounding region have preexisting infrastructure concerns, an issue noted by almost every stakeholder interviewed. These include housing and basic welfare needs. The Imperial Valley Economic Opportunity Investment Plan has asked for funds from the federal and state government to support transportation improvements in roadways and railways, power grid line improvements, and associated impacts that come with the anticipated growth in jobs from geothermal, lithium, and battery production. Several stakeholders indicated financial support from multiple layers of government will be necessary to accommodate for anticipated growth. Although there is promise of economic opportunity and growth, community and environmental organizations expressed concern and caution about who will benefit from the creation of employment opportunities. One environmental advocate noted that there were a host of social justice concerns, including job availability for local residents and the quality of those jobs. Another community advocate said the promise of new jobs is almost disrespectful. They stated, “it's not really clear to us what new employment opportunities really means, if it will be accessible to us; we’re not just a labor force.” Community organizations and the LVC are discussing what jobs and how many jobs will be available. However, much of this still remains unknown and is thus speculative. Neither the LVC nor the industry have provided specific job numbers, which is a function of the uncertainty surrounding commercial lithium production and to what degree lithium-ion battery industries will co- locate in the area. Nonetheless, workforce development programs and infrastructure enhancements will also take time to implement and build, adding to the complexity and tension of the situation. The actual impacts of industries on communities are also of concern. The relationships between communities in Potential Lithium Extraction in the United States: Environmental, Economic, and Policy Implications 58 AUGUST 2022PDF Image | Potential Lithium Extraction in the United States
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Product and Development Focus for Infinity Turbine
ORC Waste Heat Turbine and ORC System Build Plans: All turbine plans are $10,000 each. This allows you to build a system and then consider licensing for production after you have completed and tested a unit.Redox Flow Battery Technology: With the advent of the new USA tax credits for producing and selling batteries ($35/kW) we are focussing on a simple flow battery using shipping containers as the modular electrolyte storage units with tax credits up to $140,000 per system. Our main focus is on the salt battery. This battery can be used for both thermal and electrical storage applications. We call it the Cogeneration Battery or Cogen Battery. One project is converting salt (brine) based water conditioners to simultaneously produce power. In addition, there are many opportunities to extract Lithium from brine (salt lakes, groundwater, and producer water).Salt water or brine are huge sources for lithium. Most of the worlds lithium is acquired from a brine source. It's even in seawater in a low concentration. Brine is also a byproduct of huge powerplants, which can now use that as an electrolyte and a huge flow battery (which allows storage at the source).We welcome any business and equipment inquiries, as well as licensing our turbines for manufacturing.| CONTACT TEL: 608-238-6001 Email: greg@infinityturbine.com | RSS | AMP |