Roughly a half-dozen agencies, governments and a nonprofit group have filed briefs with a state regulator that could determine whether or not California American Water Co. gets the OK for its years-long effort to build a desalination plant on the Monterey Peninsula. The issue comes down to whether the peninsula will have enough water to meet the demand for the next three decades by tapping into recycled water, or whether a desal plant will be needed. Administrative Law Judge Robert Haga will examine the April 30 filings, render an up-or-down proposed ruling and ship it off to the five-member California Public Utilities Commission to vote on. In late 2022, Cal Am won the hearts of the California Coastal Commission when the 12-member appointed body approved a permit allowing Cal Am, an investor-owned utility, to move forward with the desal plant in Marina. But for Cal Am, it was a double-edged sword.