The Coastal Commission’s September meeting took place in Pismo Beach on September 7-9. The California Energy Commission Chair, David Hochschild, presented the agency’s plan for renewable energy and included some uplifting projections and lofty goals, worth checking out if you are experiencing climate depression. The Commission found substantial issue with a Dana Point permit for a new beachfront home in harm’s way and approved a seawall repair project in Oceanside. Notably, the Coastal Commission approved Poseidon’s annual work plan for the Carlsbad desalination plant mitigation, which is supposed to finally begin construction this Fall. Included in Poseidon’s update was also a long overdue modification to their Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Plan - to remove language that has long since been deemed misleading and erroneous that the plant would result in one for one reductions of imported water. The Commission also approved the highly controversial Point Reyes National Seashore Water Quality Strategy submitted by the National Parks Service. Finally, the Commission approved Phase 1 of Arcata’s Wastewater Treatment Facilities Improvements Project.

The meeting resulted in two vote charts, for the Point Reyes Water Quality Strategy and the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project.