… Imperial County ranks among the most economically distressed places in California. However, the region also happens to sit atop massive lithium reserves large enough to provide for a third of all global demand. And as the renewable energy transition drives global demand for lithium and other minerals to power battery packs, investors eyeing the Imperial Valley have already rebranded it as “Lithium Valley.” Public officials are heralding a new era of prosperity. But are local fortunes really changing? Or will the new “lithium gold rush” follow old, familiar patterns?