California Appeals Court Orders New Environmental Review for Imperial County Geothermal–Lithium Project Image: California Salton Lake Sea Hell’s Kitchen geothermal and lithium extraction plan sent back for deeper water, air-quality and mitigation analysis under CEQA A California appeals court has ordered Imperial County to conduct a more rigorous environmental review of the proposed Hell’s Kitchen geothermal power plant and lithium extraction project near the Salton Sea. The Fourth District Court of Appeal found that the county’s original environmental impact report (EIR) did not adequately address long-term water availability, enforceable mitigation measures for water shortages, or potential air-quality impacts tied to the receding Salton Sea. The ruling partially reverses a lower court decision and remands the case to Imperial County Superior Court, requiring the county and project developer Controlled Thermal Resources to address the identified deficiencies before the project can mo...
The Geothermal-AI Energy Revolution: How Superhot Rock Could Power the World’s Data Centers By : Robert Buluma The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is creating an unprecedented demand for electricity, pushing the world's data centers to their limits. To meet this 24/7 power requirement without derailing climate goals, the tech industry is turning to an unlikely source: the boundless heat beneath our feet. A new generation of "superhot rock" geothermal technologies is emerging as a potential solution, combining drilling innovations with the unrelenting computing power of AI itself. ⚡ The AI Energy Challenge: Why Solar and Wind Fall Short The explosive growth of artificial intelligence is creating an unprecedented energy crunch. By 2030, AI infrastructure could consume between 210 and 1,540 TWh annually, equivalent to the entire electricity consumption of some major countries. Hyperscale data centers in the US alone are expected to demand 15-17 GW of new capacity, a ...