Amid drought, California desalination project at crossroads

This May 2, 2022, photo shows the AES Huntington Beach Energy Center in Huntington Beach, Calif. The AES facility, the proposed site of the Poseidon Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Plant will face a critical vote by the California Coastal Commission on May 12. The highly contested project has been debated for more than two decades.

Now, the $1.4 billion proposal by Poseidon Water faces a critical review Thursday by the California Coastal Commission, which is tasked with protecting California's scenic shores. But environmental groups and the Coastal Commission's staff, which reviewed the plan, oppose it. They argue it will damage marine life by killing tiny organisms that form the base of the ocean's food web. They also say it's vulnerable to flooding and other hazards. And some in the water industry say the cost of desalinated water is too high and isn't needed in an area with access to cheaper sources.

California has spent most of the last 15 years in drought conditions. Its normal wet season that runs from late fall to the end of winter was especially dry this year and as a resultNewsom last summer urged residents to cut consumption by 15%, but since then water usage has dropped by only about 3%. Some areas have begun instituting generally mild restrictions, in most cases limiting how many days lawns can be watered. More stringent restrictions are likely later in the year.

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