Santa Monica is known for its ocean views, sunny skies, and strong environmental values. But there’s a challenge on the horizon that could test the city’s priorities: water. If Santa Monica follows through on California’s state housing requirements, which call for tens of thousands of new homes, the city’s water supply will not be able to keep up. That could mean building something the city and its neighbors have never had before: a desalination plant. And powering it might require making some tough decisions, possibly even considering nuclear energy, something many local environmentalists have long opposed. … If solar and wind alone can’t reliably power a desalination plant, and fossil fuels are off the table for climate reasons, nuclear might be the only option left. That means environmentalists, residents, and city leaders may have to ask themselves a hard question: are we willing to rethink nuclear energy in order to solve an urgent water and housing problem?
–Written by Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow