Susan McCabe, a former Coastal Commissioner and longtime lobbyist, is one of the most powerful and controversial forces shaping development along California’s coast. Through her firm, McCabe & Co., she has represented clients such as Poseidon Resources, Southern California Edison, and MacPherson Oil, all linked to environmentally controversial projects. Watchdogs say she has used her access to sway commission decisions, once boasting in emails about “spoon-feeding” talking points to commissioners. Her influence was also cited in the ouster of Executive Director Charles Lester, a move condemned by environmentalists as part of a broader effort by developers and lobbyists to weaken the Coastal Act’s protections.