Lithium is required for making electric vehicle batteries and other devices that store and use electricity. As the world transitions away from fossil fuels and electric vehicles become increasingly popular, an acute deficit looms in lithium supply: its price increased by over 400 percent in 2021. The shortage could put the brakes on many automakers’ plans to create all-electric inventory by 2035. … The potential size of the lithium resource below the surface of the Earth near the Salton Sea is staggering. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently called California the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” and the state established the Lithium Valley Commission last year to report on the opportunities.