2017 – 2020 / Early PWM Expansion Development

June 9, 2017 – CPUC Judge Gary Weatherford issued a Ruling requesting that parties identify any remaining disputed issues of material fact, other than those addressed in the EIR process, that needed to be updated or heard before a proposed decision related to the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project (MWSP) desalination plant is prepared and published.

June 30, 2017 – In a Joint Statement of Issues filed at the CPUC by 19 participants in the MPWSP proceeding, LandWatch and the Planning and Conservation League posed the idea: “Cal-Am, Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, and Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (now M1W) should be requested to provide information on whether more than 3,500 acre feet annually could be provided from the Pure Water Monterey project to Cal-Am.” M1W agreed that it “would provide information on whether more than 3,500 acre feet annually could be provided”, as well as cost and timing. Surfrider Foundation and MPWMD supported this effort.

August 7, 2017 – The assigned CPUC Commissioner and Judge set a pre-hearing conference and identified issues for further hearings in the MPWSP proceeding, including “Can expansion of the PWM project provide water to applicant in excess of 3,500 acre-feet per year”? Hearings were set to begin October 25, 2017 in a CPUC ruling August 28^th.

September 29, 2017 – M1W General Manager submits testimony to CPUC demonstrating three PWM Expansion scenarios which would produce an additional 3,570 AFY, 2,250 AFY, or 650 AFY (Acre-Feet per Year).

September 20, 2018 – the CPUC issues its decision approving the desalination plant, in which it says that PWM Expansion was at that time too speculative: “The Commission supports the parties’ efforts to explore expanding the PWM project. There are, however, many fundamental and threshold details that would need to be presented before the Commission could consider if PWM expansion could provide an affordable, specific, concrete, reliable, and permanent source of water for Cal-Am ratepayers. Further consideration of such efforts, if any, is not appropriate in this proceeding.”

June 5, 2019 – M1W holds Public Scoping Meeting for Supplemental EIR for PWM Expansion.

October 28, 2019 – Coastal Commission Staff Report on the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) for the Cal-Am desalination plant recommends denial of the CDP based on the proposed expansion of the Pure Water Monterey recycled water project as a less environmentally harmful alternative to desalination, with no Coastal Zone impacts.

April 27, 2020 – Under pressure from Cal-Am and its allies, the M1W Board chooses to not certify the Final Supplemental EIR for PWM Expansion.

February 22, 2021 – M1W considered and discussed potential actions on the SEIR to support a potential PWM Expansion approval. The Board directed staff to proceed with evaluation of changes in the proposed modifications since the April 2020 SEIR was completed and requested staff to bring the item back for potential action.