SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is scrapping a $16 billion plan to build two giant tunnels to deliver water to Southern California.

Instead, he wants to build a single tunnel with a different design and a lower price.

Newsom’s predecessor, Jerry Brown, had pushed for two 35-mile-long tunnels to divert water to the much drier southern part of the state.

The state Department of Water Resources’ announcement Thursday that it’s withdrawing all existing permit applications for that plan and starting over follows Newsom’s remarks in February that he wanted one tunnel.

Agency spokeswoman Karla Nemeth says the state spent $240 million developing the twin tunnels project.