Susan Jordan

Susan Jordan is the Founder and Executive Director of the California Coastal Protection Network (CCPN), a U.S.-based statewide non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the protective legal requirements of the California Coastal Act – considered to be the strongest global coastal protection law in force today – are upheld in policy areas as diverse as seawater desalination, liquefied natural gas, offshore energy development, underwater acoustics and land-based coastal development.

Jordan is recognized for her ability to work closely with focused teams of environmental organizations, attorneys and scientific experts and over the last 25+ years has successfully advocated against large-scale precedent setting projects including the Hearst Ranch Corporation’s multi-resort development proposal, the offshore BHP Billiton Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal, the San Onofre Toll Road, the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) project, and the Plains Exploration and Production (PXP) oil drilling proposal for the first new oil lease in California State Waters in over 40 years.

In May, 2022, Jordan defeated the proposed 50-MGD Brookfield-Poseidon Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Project in a unanimous denial at the California Coastal Commission setting the stage for a robust discussion of what types of seawater desalination projects are in the best interest of the public and the environment.

Given the long-term cumulative adverse impacts of seawater desalination, Jordan believes in pursuing less environmentally damaging water supply alternatives like conservation, recycling, and storm-water capture before moving forward with seawater desalination and for implementing the highest technological and environmental standards that minimize impacts where desalination facilities are deemed necessary.

Jordan is a former partner in the corporate research and political consulting firm of Dresner-Sykes, Jordan and Townsend and holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

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SESSIONS

Wednesday 10th May, 13:45 – 15:15: The Great Brine Debate