A large data center and energy project is being proposed on California’s southern border with Mexico.

The county also happens to be sitting on enough lithium to produce nearly 400 million batteries, sufficient to completely revamp the American auto fleet to electric propulsion. Even better, that ...

But in Southern California’s Imperial Valley, the earth has been shaking. In less than a day, more than 40 earthquakes shook ...

In California’s Imperial Valley, local history is filled with broken economic development promises. In the 1900’s, the introduction of irrigation was supposed to bring a flourishing agriculture ...

In 2022, when California lawmakers approved a new tax on lithium — a key component in electric cars and other battery technology — residents across Imperial County were thrilled. To many, the tax was ...

Imperial County consistently ranks among the most economically distressed places in California. Its Salton Sea, the state's biggest and most toxic lake, is an environmental disaster. And the region's ...

Imperial County consistently ranks among the most economically distressed places in California. Its Salton Sea, the state’s biggest and most toxic lake, is an environmental disaster. The county also ...

Research for the book from which this article draws was supported by the James Irvine Foundation, New Energy Nexus, the California Wellness Foundation, and Open Society Foundations. Manuel Pastor was ...