by The Editors on December 11, 2009
On his blog Aguanomics Economist and Wantrup Fellow at UC Berkeley David Zetland, PhD has an interesting take on the Poseidon Resources desalination plant.
While he points out that there are many people who worry about Poseidon’s track record, or the fact that they’re asking for $550 million in tax-favored public bonds, or that the $700 million plant will cost tax payer more than the “promised price” what has Zetland most worried is the Carlsbad Municipal Water District.
Although these things concern me,** I worry more about Poseidon’s partner, Carlsbad MWD, which has the dubious honor of being the least-competent manager of wastewater in the State. . . .With partners like that, I wonder if Poseidon is really facing a worthy contractual partner that can push back when/if push comes to shove. (This is especially relevant given Poseidon’s friendly relations with local politicians.)
Zetland summarizes by saying: “If Poseidon screws up, will Carlsbad MWD be competent enough to catch them or make sure they pay?” And that is one of the best questions we heard so far.
[Link: Aguanomics]
by The Editors on December 11, 2009
Three enviornmental groups who wanted the California Coastal Commission to revoke a development permit they’d given for Poseidon Resources’ Desalination Plant were denied on Thursday, December 10, 2009, according to a story on KPBS.
The 9-to-3 vote to deny the revocation request came after two hours of testimony at the Coastal Commission meeting in San Francisco. . . “The grounds for revocation are narrow and the Commission cannot reconsider a permit if new information has surfaced after the permit has been issued, no matter how compelling that information may be,” Coastal Commission Deputy Director Alison Detmer told commissioners during the meeting.
Poseidon Resources is obviously happy and the Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation have simply filed another revocation request.
[Link: KPBS]
by The Editors on November 26, 2009
That’s the question San Francisco Bay Guardian writer Rebecca Bowe asks in one of the best stories we’ve read about Poseidon Resources plans for their desalination plant on the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon.
“Aside from doing nothing about conservation and continuing to require huge amounts of energy for transmission, these plants also have no real community benefit, minimal job creation, and, most importantly, a questionable success and effectiveness,” members of Service Employees International Union Local 721 wrote in a letter to the Metropolitan Water District, Southern California’s water wholesaler. “We believe we can conserve more water by installing waterless urinals across L.A. County than we would obtain from the proposed desalination plant.”
Those who think they know what this desalination plant is all about should click the link to read the rest of this story.
[Link: San Francisco Bay Guardian]
by The Editors on November 6, 2009
According to a report releassd on November 4, 2009 by the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch, the cost of water from Poseidon’s proposed Carlsbadistan desalination plant could cost three times as much as the company has projected.
“Poseidon claims that their Carlsbad desalination water will come at ‘no expense to the region’s taxpayers,’ yet they are counting on Metropolitan Water District ratepayers and taxpayers to underwrite the project,” said Renee Maas, water program organizer for Food & Water Watch. “Policymakers should learn from Poseidon’s failed Tampa Bay facility and only use public funds for effective and responsible projects.”
According to James Fryer, the author of the new report even if things go well costs could still reach $1910 per acre-foot which is twice the $950 claimed by Poseidon.
Cost over-runs and bankruptcy marked Poseidon’s previous foray into the desalination business. The Tampa Bay plant opened over a year behind schedule, and then required immediate rehabilitation. As a result, he project ran 44 percent over projected capital cost and has never produced the 25 MGD originally promised by Poseidon.
Hurray for desal. . . to read the entire report, click here for the PDF.
[Link: Common Dreams]
by The Editors on July 24, 2009
A new report by the Oakland, California-based Pacific institutes claims the best solution to California’s water problem is to simply curb waste in the Central Valley, according to a post on the Wall Street Journal’s Environmental Capital blog.
What’s interesting about the analysis is just how much the authors think a combination of irrigation technologies and management practices can save: 5.6 million acre-feet in an average year. That’s 17% of all water used by California farmers, and more than twice the total the state’s millions of city-dwellers could save if they wised up about their water use. It’s also a whole lot more than the enormous desalination plant in Carlsbad, Calif. will produce when it comes online.
See what they’re getting at here?
[Link: Environmental Capital]
by The Editors on May 13, 2009
Most knew that it was only a formality, but this morning the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board met to vote on Poseidon Resources proposed desalination plant in Carlsbadistan’s Aqua Hedionda lagoon. And guess what? It was a unanimous approval according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The ruling clears the way for Poseidon Resources to turn 50 million gallons of ocean water a day into drinking water on the grounds of the Encina Power Station at Agua Hedionda Lagoon. . . Peter MacLaggan, Poseidon’s senior vice president, said the decision means the company can begin building the $320 million plant, with the goal of providing water by early 2012. . . The water quality board has required Poseidon to create 55.4 acres of new wetlands in Southern California to provide a nursery for fish and other marine organisms that will be killed in the desalination plant’s processes.
And “progress” marches on.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on May 13, 2009
Beginning July 1, 2009 the Carlsbadistan Municipal Water District is joining the San Diego County Water Authority and moving all of us into a “Level 2 Drought” alert.
What does that mean? Not a whole lot actually. We’ll be restricted to watering only three times a week (at night) for no more than 10 minutes, we won’t be able to hose down our driveways, and we’ll have to ask for water in local restaurants. Follow the jump for all the details.
[click to continue…]
by The Editors on May 12, 2009
It’s turning into a pretty bad week for proposed desalination plant builders Poseidon Resources.
First, the California Coastal Commission is “rethinking their permit” after Executive Director Peter Douglas noticed that “information Poseidon provided that panel was inconsistent with information it provided the commission last year,” and that these changes could result in a larger fish kill, according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Then, experts quoted in a New York Times story claim that it will be very difficult if not impossible for Poseidon Resources to get financing for their Carlsbadistan project if stalled desal projects in Australia, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia are any indicator. While Poseidon says they could get financing in place in “six weeks.” Tom Pankratz, director of the International Desalination Association, said such a deal would fly in the face of an international trend of stalled projects.”
Pankratz noted that larger desalination projects in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Australia have been left flailing for financial partners at crucial junctures. He doubted Poseidon’s reality would be different. . . “Right now, financing is difficult for any large project, and desalination plants are no exception,” Pankratz said. “For them to say six weeks in this financial climate, that sounds optimistic to me.”
The project goes up for a vote at the San Diego Regional water board “at 9 a.m. Wednesday at 9174 Sky Park Ct. in San Diego,” according to the North County Times.
[Links: San Diego Union-Tribune and The New York Times and North County TImes]
by The Editors on April 9, 2009
The Surfrider Foundation’s argument that that California Coastal Commission acted illegally when it failed to “require Poseidon to reduce the amount of fish and marine organisms that would be killed in the desalination process” were rejected today in San Diego Superior Court today, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Judge Judith Hayes issued a tentative ruling rejecting arguments by Surfrider Foundation and the Planning and Conservation League that the California Coastal Commission misapplied state law when it gave Poseidon Resources a coastal development permit to build the plant. . . . Marco Gonzalez, the attorney for Surfrider and the league, said the groups are unhappy with the ruling and believe the court misunderstood some facts. . . “In particular, a large part of the prospective ruling is based on the perception that the project was previously approved by the Regional Board,” Gonzalez said.
One more hurdle out of the way for the for Poseidon Resources and the desalination plant.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on April 8, 2009
The vote has been delayed, however, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board has decided to close the desalination plant hearing “meaning no new evidence or testimony will be considered at the next meeting,” according to a story in the North County Times.
Poseidon Resources Corp., the plant’s prospective builder, made encouraging progress at the hearing, said Scott Maloni, a vice president of the Stamford, Conn.-based company. . . “We think it’s a significant milestone,” Maloni said. “They ended the public debate over the project, and they agreed to come back next month and make a decision. The time delay is insignificant in comparison to the milestone of the public debate coming to a close.”
Writing in the San Diego Union-Tribune Michael Burge said that the plant has been “all but approved” and that the board will “give the project a final green light at a later meeting.”
[Link: North County Times and San Diego Union-Tribune]
On his blog Aguanomics Economist and Wantrup Fellow at UC Berkeley David Zetland, PhD has an interesting take on the Poseidon Resources desalination plant.
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