RICK is proud to share that the County of Imperial has released the Lithium Valley Specific Plan (LVSP) and Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for public review. The RICK team was honored to prepare the Draft Lithium Valley Specific Plan for the County in partnership with Dudek’s preparation of the Draft PEIR.
This milestone reflects years of coordination with industry representatives, workforce partners, agencies, and the community to create a thoughtful, business-ready foundation for long-term economic growth for the entire Imperial Valley region.
The Draft LVSP and PEIR lay the groundwork for a global hub for geothermal energy, critical mineral production, advanced manufacturing, and workforce-ready job creation. By facilitating geothermal energy production and closed-loop mineral extraction, the plans position the region to provide the U.S. with a domestic supply of critical minerals while uplifting the local community.
RICK extends congratulations to the Imperial County team on this large achievement. We look forward to continued collaboration as the project moves through public review and toward implementation! To learn more and review the draft documents, visit https://lnkd.in/gJ8GTYTa.
RICK’s Role
In late 2022, RICK’s Planning + Design Division led a multidisciplinary baseline report and infrastructure assessment to identify the existing conditions, opportunities, and constraints. Following these undertakings, RICK facilitated a series of land use alternatives meetings and workshops, leading to the release of a land use alternatives memorandum. A preferred alternative became the foundation for the Draft Specific Plan that was initially released for public review in February 2025. Comments received were assessed, and where appropriate, reflected in the December 2025 Draft Specific Plan released with the PEIR.
Over the course of the project through to these milestones, Brian Mooney, FAICP and Shannon Baer, AICP led an expansive community engagement program across northern and central Imperial County, conducting more than 30 community engagement events in towns and neighborhoods directly affected by the future of Lithium Valley. Brian and Shannon also handled over 120 stakeholder meetings in various formats to share project details, build project support, identify infrastructure solutions, and develop informed and implementable policies.
Next Steps
With the Draft Lithium Valley Specific Plan and PEIR now open for public review, the project moves into the next phase of implementation planning. The public review period provides an opportunity to refine the Draft Specific Plan based on community and stakeholder input, and once complete, the plan will guide future development and infrastructure planning across the region.
RICK is proud to have supported Imperial County throughout this process and looks forward to continued collaboration as Lithium Valley moves closer to implementation.