The Coastal Commission staff had advised the commission to deny approval — citing, among other factors, the high cost of the water and lack of local demand for it, the risks to marine life, and the possibility of flooding in the area as sea levels rise.
The unanimous decision sets a high bar for the future of turning seawater into drinking water in California.
The plant would have sucked in nearly 107 million gallons of seawater and spit out 50 million gallons a day, enough to supply nearly 460,000 people in Orange County, which is home to about 3.2 million people.
The developer of the proposed plant pushed back against criticism at the meeting and expressed disappointment in the decision.
