The LA Times reports that Poseidon is paying over a quarter million dollars per year to the Coastal Commission’s premier lobbyist.
Poseidon is close to receiving final approval on its billion dollar stick-up of Orange County Rate payers. The largest remaining obstacle is Coastal Commission approval. The Los Angeles Times has a great story on Susan McCabe, the Coastal Commission’s premier lobbyist. From the article:
In 2009-2010, Poseidon Resources, which builds desalination plants, topped the list [of McCabe clients] at $262,013.
McCabe still represents Poseidon’s interests, including a $1-billion project in Huntington Beach
She compiles detailed briefing books for the panel and, according to regular attendees, her team delivers recommended revisions to commissioners who sometimes adopt them with little or no public review or discussion.
As always, Poseidon uses its enormous lobbying budget to further a project that can not stand on its own merits. Given the recent changes at the Coastal Commission, the project will probably be approved 7-5 when it comes up. There is still time to fight the project, however, as it does not appear on the May meeting agenda.
*As pappy always said: “You can’t hold back the tide!” And then he said: “You are pushing stuff against the tide!” The Poseidon Naysayers….are stepping on ants while
the elephants get away. Rate hikes? You folks haven’t even seen the rate hikes that
are coming simply based on residential and commercial development that is coming in
the next 5 to 10 years. We do not live is a “Static” environment. As you may have noticed…folks are busy buying new property, re-building old unit and housing and generally trying to upgrade their neighborhoods. Why might they make those investments in what is called “a stagnant economy”? The answer is that things might
be stagnant in New Jersey or Missouri….but not here on the Left Coast. The demand for energy will soon start to require those awful looking off shore fans….that Donald Trump has such a problem with near his Golf Course in Scotland. Wind and Solar is coming…and maybe even by regulation before you know it. When the winter storms come next year after our current El Nino experience…..we may find serious flooding along the coast, rising tides that take their toll on property and our citizens that live near the water. The times ….they are a changin…..and have been for some time. Poseidon may sound expensive, may sound less environmentally correct, may sound even stupid…..but we hate to report….NECESSARY! This is called: Just in case insurance. It is the same reason why you buy Car or Health Insurance and have a firearm at home to defend the castle. You never want to use it…..but sometimes the need arises. When all those folks that voted to keep their Fire Rings find that they are flooded out by a rising tide….or when they discover that the current drought is not just a one off year experience……it may be time to listen a little closer to the predictions of the experts.
Old man woman:
You can’t claim something is necessary in the same breath you claim it’s not possible.
Sea level rise = No desal. Make up your mind.
*RC….as usual you never think out of the box. Pylons, Stilts….why do you
think the current So. Cal Edison Plant operates 15 foot off the sand?
Great. Be sure the piles are built into the CAPEX plan.
(Hint, they aren’t.)
Lemme try this differently. You have $2,000,000,000 to address local water demand. How do you spend it?
If your answer is RO filters and pumps on elevated skids, you’re more insane than I thought.
*Have you check out the Poseidon facility operating down south yet? Better to get ALL the details …first…eh?
Of course I have. Have you?
Just so you know. The Carlsbad DeSal plant is already a complete waste.
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2016/02/san-diego-dumping-treated-desal-water/
The are just the dumping the very expensive desal water in Lake Matthews, unused. Where it can merrily evaporate away….
*Sweet….just let us know when they close it down like they did with San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant…eh? Or you can go to the beach and fill a 5 lb Coffee Can with sand….
They can’t. That’s the whole freaking point.
It’s take or pay. They’re completely screwed.
Poseidon isn’t screwed, though! They’re doing just fine! And, in the end, isn’t that what really matters?
Tuesday May 3, Eadon School in HB, 9291 Banning, 7pm.
Meeting of R4RD (Residents for Responsible Desalination, which in the context of OC 2016 is certainly an oxymoron)
This is the place where we will learn how to fight this boondoggle. Try to be there, anyone from Irvine or north of Irvine. It’s gonna be on all our tabs.