[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6697757,"mediaKeyId","2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f","parentId",2264223,"title","County releases draft Lithium Valley specific plan; opens public comment through March 25","audioSeconds",861,"startMs",2921000,"endMs",3782000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f&start=2921&end=3782","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f/thumbnail_2921000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6697757/Imperial-County/California/County-releases-draft-Lithium-Valley-specific-plan-opens-public-comment-through-March-25","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697757-464dca78ca3c1c5e9aa43cf9f370c454/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170051&Signature=LukyM9gMzwnT3sEaa2RbU4MyUcm6Y1aUBauA0rGl4cIvyz0WQMYe1Cb6d2rpDlkHbe7QaZJVJnZSwdSGHAbcQURTLHBYeyo2QzR-0ynRjrOG4SyOZch5hrV35~ArWXLF5TCO0tJ2O3broBeWmLk4tjbFbdxOeFC2g6pqvJbLFHW0C-BY1gF35R0PsZoLl~wJlen2rOC8d5L2fvFoaRTQ9Wc~XSrGszgFCB8l7gecBnl5mPk-BpvhUL4xBBJDcZKsMPvfNDTew~Bobinm5DFZzbk~jhbjWIw~IQxRurTxOImJrc3yAsK6gV5Mn1Zw-jVRPLrwJwEMNmhlPDPuoDq57A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Imperial County","date","2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","article","Imperial County staff presented the draft Lithium Valley specific plan to the Board of Supervisors, describing the plan’s land‑use framework, guiding principles, phases and next steps and opening a public comment period through 5 p.m. Pacific on March 25, 2025.

The plan is presented as a comprehensive land‑use and implementation document covering an area the county stated as 51,622 acres and broken into three phases. County staff described Phase 1 as comprising 25,521 acres and said conservation accounts for 31.9% of the acreage in that phase. Key land‑use categories in the draft include green industrial, manufacturing, playa renewables, community opportunity areas, solar, logistics and conservation. County staff said the plan aims to support geothermal and mineral recovery operations, manufacturing and supply‑chain development tied to critical‑minerals processing and clean‑energy industries.

Why it matters: County officials framed the plan as the road map for local permitting and infrastructure needed to attract industry and to create an “upstream, midstream and downstream” economic ecosystem around clean energy and lithium‑related development. Staff highlighted workforce and economic development as primary goals tied to local job creation.

What staff described: County CEO Miguel Figueroa introduced the draft plan. Deputy CEO for Natural Resources Barry Beam summarized the plan content and the county’s outreach and funding: the plan document is organized into chapters on vision and guiding principles, land use and development standards, circulation and infrastructure, community health and prosperity, and implementation. Beam read the plan’s stated vision: “Lithium Valley is a dynamic and prosperous region that prioritizes public health and local jobs in innovative clean energy industries,” and said the county had conducted more than 600 engagements on the plan, with 71% of those engagements involving Imperial Valley residents.

Community engagement and funds: Beam said the county received SB 125 funds earmarked to support plan development and related outreach. He told the board the county allocated $800,000 for community‑based engagement; of that sum the county has distributed $531,618.93 from a 2023 County RFP to local organizations, citing award amounts in the meeting record (Comite Civico Del Valle — $207,289.22; Imperial Valley Equity and Justice — $148,246.04; Los Amigos — $70,803.67; Raisis — $70,200; and Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center — $26,000). Beam said the county will issue a new 2025 RFP to distribute the remaining $188,381.07 for additional community engagement.

Implementation and next steps: Staff said a health assessment and a programmatic environmental impact report (EIR) are forthcoming, and that the draft specific plan and supporting materials are available on the county website and at the planning department. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. PST on March 25, 2025; the county provided a QR code and paper copies at the meeting. Beam emphasized that the administration sees the county as the lead permitting agency for Lithium Valley and encouraged residents to review and provide input.

Board response and context: Board members asked clarifying questions about community‑engagement funding and the county’s process for allocating SB 125 funds; staff explained the funding source was Senate Bill 125 and that funds were distributed via county RFPs to community‑based organizations and to tribes with areas of significance.

The meeting record is the official source for the draft plan and for the full record of promotional materials and comments; staff directed members of the public to the county planning website for the draft and for instructions on submitting comments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Imperial County - Board of Supervisors - Feb 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County staff presented the draft Lithium Valley specific plan, describing land‑use categories across 51,622 acres, infrastructure needs, community engagement and a public comment period running to March 25, 2025.","taxTitle","Imperial County, California","taxId",3829,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697761,"Board approves two large solar projects, Ag grant, road work and other items",652,4589000,5241000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f&start=4589&end=5241","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f/thumbnail_4589000.jpg","/articles/6697761/Imperial-County/California/Board-approves-two-large-solar-projects-Ag-grant-road-work-and-other-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697761-520a5a8594c2ead1bc05a1035c1d95f6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170051&Signature=Om~NZY4r9gDitNS98r6MvLf1pX3luegU70s-kw~wmarOIM70rQ6-TDoaZbLh3QeFVe-Kxx1r3kNpQJkuw1Lk1BfaGK4QLQxkbAjw65AXJquepKpz1ZnIPiedgknwFSy3HgYh31atbkHtGtP66BOUQcjyUzY86GoX7U9cuOouHqgDeptSW3IxvXa5-Q8qb5ZoJO40QgbDabu3zUGZxBpzbC9xpgp2X8qoqUnJXZqBzISBzUwASjoJODRGW5kaemPeMxi5A3ItS4MrBdkNbbxDeWZ0QwK0dObjqDR4jKkH4hAFfxzxBiVXSctfNDLz6AnbKTLsKVmXS~etn0OHx2gdfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved a slate of land‑use and administrative actions at its public meeting, including approvals tied to two large solar and battery storage projects, authorization to bid three road‑rehabilitation projects, and a $100,000 Ag Benefit grant for Hopewell High School’s Future Farmers of America program.

The actions affecting renewable projects consisted of multi‑part approvals—water‑supply assessments, adoption of final environmental documents (mitigated negative declarations), a mitigation monitoring and reporting program, general plan amendments, zone changes, conditional use permits for generation and battery storage, and conditional use permits for on‑site groundwater wells. The board also approved public service agreements for both projects as part of the conditions of approval.

Why it matters: The solar and battery projects cleared major discretionary approvals that change land‑use designations and allow utility‑scale energy development on specific parcels in the county’s renewable energy overlay or adjacent parcels. Those approvals move the projects from planning toward construction permitting and require subsequent developer obligations under the county’s public benefit framework.

Votes at a glance (items and outcomes as recorded in the meeting record):
- Item 15 — Plans and specifications authorized for public bidding for McCabe Cove Road, East Villa Road and Villa Lane (County projects 6862, 6865 and 6866 as stated on the agenda). Motion carried (board recorded the motion as carried; the clerk recorded a 5‑0 vote in the meeting record). The county presentation identified an estimated project cost of roughly $800,000.

- Item 16 — Recognized the federal holiday declared for the passing of President Jimmy Carter and authorized 8‑hour comp holiday pay for 24‑hour Fire Department personnel. Motion carried (recorded as carried). No further fiscal detail was presented in the public record.

- Item 17 — Ag Benefit Program grant to Hopewell High School (Future Farmers of America): $100,000 recommended by the Ag Benefit Committee for program upgrades, a vehicle purchase and tools. Motion carried, recorded as five‑zero.

- Items 22 (Northstar 1 solar and battery storage, near Niland) and 23 (Northstar 3 solar and battery storage, near Salton City) — for each project the board approved: a water supply assessment; adoption of the final initial study/mitigated negative declaration and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program; a general plan amendment; a zone change ordinance; a conditional use permit for the solar generation and battery energy storage facility; and a conditional use permit for construction and operation of a commercial groundwater well. Each of those motions was put and the board recorded the motions as carried. The meeting transcript records the motions as carried but does not give roll‑call tallies for every line item; where a specific tally was announced the clerk noted the motion carried.

- Items 24 and 25 — Public service agreements with the project developers for Northstar 1 SES LLC and the Northstar 3 project were placed on the agenda and approved consistent with the county’s public benefit program. Motions carried.

What the record shows about votes and procedure: The transcript records the board approving each item by motion and then the clerk announcing the motion carried. Several items were explicitly recorded as five‑zero; for other items the transcript records only that the motion “carries” without a roll‑call tally read into the record. Where the meeting showed a motion and second, that pairing is reflected in the board minutes as moved/seconded but specific roll‑call votes are not always printed in the transcript.

Context and next steps: For the solar and battery projects the county’s approvals authorize the land‑use changes and environmental findings needed to proceed to project‑level permitting and construction planning. The conditional use permits for groundwater wells and the water supply assessments were part of the board’s determinations that water resources and mitigation conditions are adequate under the county’s environmental review process. The public service agreements accompanying the project approvals implement the county’s established public‑benefit expectations for large energy developments.

The board’s formal meeting record is the authoritative source for final vote tallies and ordinance text; interested parties should consult the county clerk or the published minutes for the official vote counts and for full copies of approvals, ordinances and public service agreements.","At a public hearing the Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved two solar-plus-storage projects (Northstar 1 and Northstar 3), authorized road rehabilitation plans, approved a $100,000 Ag Benefit grant for the Hopewell High FFA program and took related ministerial actions and public service agreements.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6697752,"County acknowledges suspension of three geothermal projects, highlights potential economic impact",160,2114000,2274000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f&start=2114&end=2274","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2264223-0a2500c33402f29b4fee623e41f35d7f/thumbnail_2114000.jpg","/articles/6697752/Imperial-County/California/County-acknowledges-suspension-of-three-geothermal-projects-highlights-potential-economic-impact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6697752-e4feb53c079169e4257d5a03f37b4497/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170051&Signature=QHygNkQFVMWYDpeu8GJmly-gWue5mawCL5j9VIfcCv5kkKr5AoZfkimzJ3j1Yr4uInlAtAPVwkdsRP8apzMsGrL1GDmO5Nky-3Tk7CA7aCKrU-HnvsT9ZefR1ouiN6y8n1IZ1T5klHVCQQZb5tbPQV6aaPCoTaAmbMKRgk620U3VlIOkjRealOTbKaQg3igk76GDrJbwPGi4WQbmGOzM2kx3zWSAN8xKNoFm6kzldIYPorhd-dqRprXE6fNqYzJ7A66TSCBoUdhHvrb1L1Tv8-pLqBlSroqpbVqYWBdI5i5W2aYZOZfeSf1CUUijTLFGkP7FB4aahTexAz8fNckDMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County officials told the Board of Supervisors that BHE Renewables (referred to in the meeting as BHE Renewables/BHU Renewables) has suspended three proposed geothermal projects—Black Rock, Elmore North and Morton Bay—and county staff described the potential economic and employment impacts cited in developer and third‑party analyses.

Deputy CEO for Natural Resources Barry Beam read a county statement acknowledging the suspension and saying the three projects together represented about 357 megawatts of net baseload renewable energy, a projected creation of more than 1,500 construction jobs and roughly 83 permanent operational jobs, and a 30‑year economic impact the county quoted as $3,820,000,000.00. Beam told the board the company had encountered obstacles in procurement of power, permitting timelines and transmission that led to the decision to suspend work on the projects.

Why it matters: County staff framed the projects as an opportunity for local jobs and economic activity and said their suspension is a setback for regional clean‑energy development. Supervisors responded with expressions of frustration and calls for collaboration to keep regional energy and Lithium Valley initiatives moving.

Exact phrasing and attribution: Beam said the projects “represented the expansion in Imperial County of 357 megawatts net of base load renewable energy” and described the projects’ anticipated job and economic impacts. He also said the county remains committed to responsible development of geothermal and Lithium Valley opportunities.

Board response: Several supervisors spoke in reaction. Supervisor Ryan Elliot Kelly described the news as “very upsetting” and urged stakeholders to look for solutions and to “leave your egos at the door” in supporting Lithium Valley and related projects. Another supervisor expressed similar concern that lawsuits and opposition from some groups had impeded project progress; that supervisor said the setbacks threaten local jobs and training pipelines.

What the record shows and next steps: The county statement acknowledged the suspension and invited continued collaboration with state and local partners to address permitting, transmission and procurement obstacles. The county did not announce a specific new timeline or alternative developer commitments in the public meeting. The county’s formal press release and staff materials are the reference sources for the numeric estimates and for any subsequent updates.","County officials said BHE Renewables suspended three geothermal projects (Black Rock, Elmore North and Morton Bay). Staff and supervisors described projected job and economic impacts and urged continued efforts to advance geothermal and Lithium Valley opportunities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County releases draft Lithium Valley specific plan; opens public comment through March 25

Board approves two large solar projects, Ag grant, road work and other items

County acknowledges suspension of three geothermal projects, highlights potential economic impact