In May 2022, the California Coastal Commission unanimously rejected Poseidon Water's permit application for a seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach, the Orange County Register reported. The plant was to produce 50 million gallons a day, about 190,000 m³/day, enough for 400,000 people, at a cost of $1.4 billion. Eleven of the twelve members voted, one having recused. Governor Gavin Newsom had supported the project. The ruling effectively ended a 21-year effort on which Poseidon had spent $100 million.
The decision showed that in California, environmental impacts and water prices could decide large projects even during a drought. Several commissioners nonetheless spoke in favour of desalination in principle.
Source: Orange County Register