If it can be done in the Middle East, it can surely be done in this country.
Most of the Middle East isn't plagued by the pesky democratic process. (Or at least it wasn't until recently, and I'm guessing that in those places that recently overthrew their repressive leaders there's some buyer's remorse.) Here, we have to come together to do it. We've become far too populated and vast an empire to function effectively as a democracy, and in any case big Public Works projects are the whipping children of those who favor austerity. I just don't see large-scale desalination plants powerd by large-scale, solar-powered generators fetching much popular support any time in the near future.
Luckily, the vastness of our empire supports high mobility, and internal migration isn't particularly difficult. We could see a drain on the population from the Southwest, and that may not be a bad thing since that region is already supporting far more inhabitants than is ecologically feasible.
