CTR geothermal lithium project recognized by US federal permitting program
The optimization plant of Controlled Thermal Resources, taken April 2023 (source: Controlled Thermal Resources)
Carlo Cariaga
18 Jun 2025
The geothermal power and lithium project of Controlled Thermal Resources in California has been designated as a FAST-41 Covered Project for federal permitting.
Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) has announced that its Hell’s Kitchen Critical Minerals and Power Project has been officially designated as a FAST-41 Covered Project by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council), recognizing its importance in strengthening US critical minerals and energy independence.
Established in 2015, the FAST- 41 designation, granted under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, ensures a transparent federal permitting process committed to supporting large-scale infrastructure projects of national importance. FAST-41 covered projects are entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
The FAST-41 program highlights infrastructure vital to U.S. resilience, providing direct agency coordination, enforceable permitting timelines, and transparent oversight. This designation reflects the federal government’s commitment to restoring industrial capability, securing critical inputs, and accelerating high-impact clean energy development.
This designation also elevates Hell’s Kitchen as a recognized strategic asset to the United States and signals strong backing from the White House and the National Energy Dominance Council.
“FAST-41 Coverage signifies a critical federal recognition of the Hell’s Kitchen Project,” said Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources. “To qualify, projects must meet rigorous criteria, and we are honored to be recognized as a priority development by the Trump Administration.”
Located southeast of the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in Imperial Valley, CA, the Hell’s Kitchen Critical Minerals and Power Project aims to provide the first in a series of American minerals extraction and conversion production facilities powered by geothermal energy.
If permitted, this project will supply a number of critical minerals that meet market grade requirements. The proposed power plant will convert geothermal brine into steam to generate electrical energy. Both the steam and the electrical energy will be used in the extraction of lithium and other minerals from that same geothermal brine for onsite conversion into battery-grade lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate for use in the battery industry.
Hell’s Kitchen will deliver two essential pillars of national security: domestically sourced critical minerals for defense and domestic manufacturing, and reliable 24/7 renewable baseload power to support the growing demands of hyperscale data centers and AI infrastructure.
“I’m pleased to welcome the Hell’s Kitchen Critical Minerals and Power Project to FAST-41 coverage,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “This innovative combined mining and processing effort is exactly the kind of next generation project the Permitting Council should enable. I look forward to working with industry and federal partners to unlock our country’s vast energy and mineral resources and reduce our reliance on China.”
The project’s designation triggers a statutorily mandated process, including 21 days for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to invite cooperating agencies and a 60-day window to develop a Coordinated Project Plan and permitting timetable.
Located in Imperial County, California – America’s second-largest producer of geothermal energy – the Hell’s Kitchen project will initially generate 50 WM of geothermal power and 25,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate. Additional stages are expected to produce up to 500 MW of renewable power and 175,000 metric tons of lithium annually. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held in early 2024.
“CTR’s capacity to deliver essential resources needed to power America’s future cannot be overstated,” Rod Colwell added. “We have an extraordinary resource and the proven technology to commence construction at scale. We applaud the federal government’s decisive and efficient actions to accelerate development, encourage private investment, and create thousands of good-paying American jobs.”
Source: Email correspondence and Permitting Council
