Ansel, the costs are more, but if you consider an increase of 50% on 25% of the water you use, it brings the cost down to only a 12.5% cost increase overall.
It increases your total water available by 25%. That’s a very big help for only 12.5% increase in cost.
If you associate this cost with a duel purpose power plant, that 12.5% can be offset in part as well.
Thanks for your comments on the Santa Barbara plant. I wasn’t aware of that.
“Despite these hurdles, however, the United States ranks fourth among markets for desalinated water behind Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Spain, according to an International Desalination Association presentation from 2011.”
http://www.bna.com/us-desalination-industry-n17179876105/