The future of the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply comes before two state boards next week
Thursday, Nov. 17 is shaping up to be a momentous day for the future of the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply, as two major state boards – the California Coastal Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission – are set to weigh in on two separate projects that aim to add supply to the local portfolio. Arguably, the more weighty of the two hearings is the Coastal Commission’s, which is meeting for three days in the Board of Supervisors chambers in Salinas. In those chambers on Nov. 17, the commissioners will consider whether to grant a coastal development permit to California American Water for its proposed desalination project in Marina, which has been a lightning rod for controversy since first being proposed nearly a decade ago.