Renewable: Lithium promises revival for dying California inland seabr br In the languishing area around Salton Sea,, companies are starting to extract lithium. The increasingly valuable metal, whose supply is concentrated in a few global pockets, is vital for the rechargeable batteries expected to cleanly power the cars and homes of our polluted planet's future. Lithium hydroxide is worth over $25,000 per tonne, a price that has risen more than 250 percent over the last year, offering hope of a revival to an area that ranks among California's poorest.