The financing will go toward funding an updated cooling system and ensuring the protection of local marine life.

San Diego’s Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant was awarded $170 in federal financing to complete a state-mandated overhaul of its intake system and meet environmental regulations, reports Joshua Emerson Smith for The San Diego Union-Tribune.
The article explains, “The facility didn’t initially have to deal with such environmental regulations. The Encina Power Plant, which was decommissioned in 2018, previously pulled in water from the Agua Hedionda Lagoon for its cooling process, providing it to the neighboring facility as an afterthought.” The plant currently provides around 10 percent of the region’s water, pumping in roughly 300 million gallons of seawater per day. “Part of the federal loan will help pay for the long-awaited rehabilitation of 125 acres of coastal wetlands in San Diego Bay. Poseidon is required by the state to complete the project in order to offset environmental degradation caused by the plant.”
In 2022, the California Coastal Commission denied Poseidon, the operator of the Carlsbad plant, a permit to build a new facility in Huntington Beach.
FULL STORY: San Diego County’s desal facility to get $170M federal loan to help with costly overhaul

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

Five Key Transportation Funding Proposals in Trump’s Budget
The President’s proposed 2026 budget would keep spending roughly the same for transit and rail and eliminate over $5 billion in funding for EV charging infrastructure.

LA County Creating Action Plan to Tackle Extreme Heat
Los Angeles County is creating a Heat Action Plan to help communities stay safe during extreme heat, with steps like adding more shade, improving buildings, and supporting the neighborhoods most at risk.

Maryland Plans Quick-Build Complete Streets Projects
The state will use low-cost interventions to improve road safety in five Maryland counties.
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