The Imperial County sits on one of California’s richest subsurface energy prizes. For decades, our Valley has hosted steam and brine fields that power turbines and — increasingly — promise to produce lithium for the nation’s batteries. That history and the present-day reality matter because Assembly Bill 531 (Authored by Assemblymember Chris Rogers, D-Santa Rosa) changes how geothermal projects can be permitted in California.
The law expands the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) “opt-in” certification framework to explicitly include geothermal power plants and multi-plant geothermal field projects, allowing certain projects to pursue an expedited state-level environmental review instead of moving entirely through local permitting and some county processes.
What the change actually does is give developers an alternative pathway. For projects that opt into the CEC’s environmental leadership/certification process (the same statutory pathway sometimes called the AB 205 opt-in), CEQA review and some aspects of judicial review are handled through a centralized state process intended to speed timelines. Supporters argue this accelerates the construction of zero-carbon power that California needs; opponents say it can curtail local land-use authority and community input.
Why Imperial County has a stake
Imperial County is not a hypothetical geothermal territory — it’s ground truth. The Salton Sea and nearby fields already host multiple geothermal plants and pilot projects for extracting lithium from geothermal brines; local companies and developers are moving from power alone to integrated energy + critical-mineral operations that could create jobs, tax revenue, and new industrial supply chains here. That potential has already driven local permitting activity, pilot plants, and wide media coverage of “Lithium Valley” ambitions.
What supporters say (and why that matters here)
Proponents — including geothermal developers, many clean-energy advocates, and members of the bill’s author team — say AB 531 removes unnecessary siting delays for a resource that can supply firm, around-the-clock clean electricity and domestic lithium feedstock. For Imperial County, this can mean faster investment, new jobs in construction and operations, and a stronger local role in the clean energy supply chain if projects are structured to hire locally and share revenue. The bill was presented as a tool to help California meet clean-energy goals by unlocking a resource that’s both renewable and dispatchable.
What residents and local governments worry about
Local governments and county groups have been explicit in their concerns. Some rural and regional stakeholders — including county associations — argue that the expansion of the CEC opt-in route can erode local land-use control for projects under certain size thresholds, limiting opportunities for county planning commissions, elected supervisors, and affected residents to shape conditions or negotiate benefits. In Imperial County, where economic distress is real and environmental justice questions are acute, community groups want guarantees that faster permitting won’t shortcut protections for air, water, and the Salton Sea’s fragile ecology.
What actually happened in Sacramento
Governor Newsom signed AB 531 into law, making geothermal projects eligible for the CEC’s certification framework as described above. The signing confirms the state’s intent to prioritize streamlined permitting for geothermal as part of broader clean-energy and battery-supply strategies. That decision now lands on this policy squarely in local places like Imperial County to implement and respond to.
What Imperial County should ask for — practical, local asks
Local benefit agreements: If projects use the faster CEC pathway, require enforceable commitments for local hiring, apprenticeship slots, and measurable revenue sharing (taxes, fees, or a community benefit fund).Strong environmental conditions: Make CEC certification contingent on binding mitigation measures tailored to Salton Sea ecology, groundwater protections, and air-quality monitoring.Transparent permitting coordination: Ask the CEC to formalize a local-coordination protocol so county agencies remain part of project scoping, monitoring, and adaptive management.Workforce training and small-business access: Use part of any project revenue to fund local trade training and supplier development so Imperial firms can capture more value.
How to make speed and stewardship co-exist
AB 531 reflects a policy tradeoff: speed for carbon-free capacity versus local control and detailed site-level review. Imperial County can make the law work for its residents if the county uses the next months to negotiate enforceable public benefits, insist on rigorous monitoring, and ensure that permitting reforms don’t mean less accountability. The best outcome would be projects that actually deliver jobs, cleaner air, and economic resilience — not just rapid construction for outsiders.
Bottom line
For Imperial County the stakes are concrete: we already host geothermal operations and the brine resources that could anchor a domestic lithium supply chain. AB 531 lowers a procedural barrier and creates a faster route to build more geothermal capacity. That can be a big opportunity — but only if local elected leaders, and state regulators ensure that acceleration comes with enforceable benefits and protections that our communities can see and rely on.