The role of Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) in Lithium Valley: assessing technology readiness, scalability, cost competitiveness. How can California's Lithium Valley cultivate its competitive edge in the global lithium market while supporting local economic growth? Beyond lithium: How can Salton Sea's geothermal brines contribute more broadly to domestic U.S. critical minerals supply chains? Addressing the challenges of operating in Lithium Valley's arid environment, including ESG concerns around water use in geothermal production and lithium extraction.