e/acc

Interesting case study of what can be done with cheap energy, especially in places with lots of sun and access to seawater.

The author basically proposes to:
1. Build a solar-powered desalination plant
2. Desalinate seawater at scale
3. Use the resulting brine for extraction of valuable minerals

This could be an important economic enabler for dry regions like the Western US and increase climate resilience.

Interesting quote from the article:
"It seems hard to believe that such a tiny corner of such a huge desert [the Salton Sea], so far from any roads that its existence would be unknown to all but a handful of airline passengers, could be capable of producing 5 MAF of fresh water per year — California’s entire Colorado River allocation! This is the power of solar energy."

https://asteriskmag.com/issues/06/its-2024-and-drought-is-optional

Interesting exploration of the improving economics of water desalination and its implications:
https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/does-desalination-promise-a-future 

The author’s takeaways are:
- “Desalinated water now costs as little as $0.40 per ton […], likely to drop to $0.30 in the next decade.”
- cheaper water and transport costs of 0.05$/ton mean “that deserts couldn’t produce every agricultural product in the world. But they could produce a bunch!”

https://warpcast.com/s5eeo/0xaf123630