17th Annual VerdeXchange VX2024 Marketmakers' Conference
VX2024 Where Clean & Green Tech Marketmakers Meet To Accelerate & Scale Investments In The New Energy Economy
May 12-15, 2024
LOS ANGELES—For 17 years VerdeXchange has gathered accomplished clean, green, and blue tech entrepreneurs, energy & water companies, advanced vehicle manufacturers, software & hardware developers, public policymakers as well as: procurers, innovative financiers, and environmental stewards "under-one-roof" to assess what's in-market, about to be in-market, and what's needed in market to propel the global, multi-trillion dollar verde economy.
Join global market leaders at VerdeXchange VX2024 on May 12-15, 2024, at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, to examine how cities, states, and regions, in collaboration with public and private partners and community stakeholders, should and will leverage the $1.1 trillion in US infrastructure funding now flowing, after decades of neglect, to optimize economic recovery, maximize transformational climate infrastructure investments, and accelerate growth of the global clean energy economy.
VX 2024 Day 1 Program: Monday, May 13, 2024
7:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
7:45 AM
VX2024 Welcome
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
David Abel, Chair, VerdeXchange
Opening Remarks:
Felicia Marcus, Stanford University Fellow, Water & the West
8:10 AM
Morning Plenary I
No More Demos: Shovel-Ready Projects to Equitably Meet the Climate Imperative
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel:
David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Mark Pestrella, Director, LA County Public Works
Ted Bardacke, Executive Director, Clean Power Alliance
Aram Benyamin, Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
8:55 AM
Morning Plenary II
Status Report: Realizing the Grid's Net-Zero Promise
Moderator: Marybel Batjer, Partner, California Strategies
Panel:
Maryam Brown, President, SoCalGas
Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Caroline Choi, Senior VP, Regulatory Affairs, Southern California Edison
9:45 AM - 10:35 AM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY-
California's Gut Check Moment: Future of Distributed Energy Resources
Moderator: Eliot Abel, Senior Vice President, Corporate Clean Energy Solutions, Pivot Energy
Panel:
Raghav Murali, Head of Policy & Government Affairs, PowerFlex
Derek Chernow, Western US Regional Director, Coalition for Community Solar Access
Michael Colvin, Director, California Energy Program, Environmental Defense Fund
-WATER-
Our Water's Future: Recycled Water
Moderator: David Nahai, President, David Nahai Companies
Panel:
Felicia Marcus, Stanford University Fellow, Water & the West
Mark Gold, Director of Water Scarcity Solutions, Natural Resources Defense Council
Richard Katz, LADWP Commission President
Barbara Romero, Executive Director, LA Sanitation and Environment
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability Resiliency, Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District
Responder:
Zakir Hirani, Vice President Water Reuse Practice Leader, Stantec
-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-
Windows of Opportunity for Clean Transport in the U.S. & California
Moderator: Heather Repenning, Executive Officer of Sustainability Policy, LA Metro
Panel:
Hilary Norton, Commissioner, California Transportation Commission
Gideon Kracov, Boardmember, California Air Resources Board and South Coast Air Quality Management District
Luke Klipp, Senior Transportation Deputy, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn
Alfred Fraijo, Founder and Partner, Land Use Attorney and Urbanist, Somos Group
Spencer Reeder, Director, Gov't Affairs & Sustainability, Audi of America
-POLICY/FINANCE-
Next Generation Investment in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions
Moderator: Kathleen Brown
Panel:
Daniel Weiss, Angeleno Group
Tom Soto, Impact Investor D4IR-JMS Impact Partners
Joaquin Silva, Managing Partner, Energy Innovation Capital
Janna Sidley, Board Member, LACERS, and Commissioner, Little Hoover Commission
Responder: Michelle Demers, Founder and CEO, Boundless Impact Research & Analytics
10:45 AM - 11:35 AM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY-
Making Sense of Regulations and Funding Opportunities at the State and Federal Level
Moderator: Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, US Department of Energy Loan Program Office
Panel:
Dan Adler, Deputy Director for Climate Finance, California I-Bank
Ean Mulligan, Vice President of Development, Birch Creek Renewables
Hillary Hebert, Clean Energy Regulatory / Policy Consultant, HMH Energy
Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer
-WATER-
Digital Waters: Software & Hardware to Facilitate Integrated Systems
Moderator: Paige E. Samblanet, Associate, Brownstein Hyatt Faber Schreck
Panel:
Pete Perciavalle, Senior Vice President, Water Innovation Leader, Stantec
-SUSTAINABILITY / INFRASTRUCTURE-
Charging Up EV Charging in LA County & California
Moderator: Ruben Aronin, SVP, Better World Group
Panel
David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Namrita Merino, Chief Operating Officer, GreenWealth Energy
Sumreen Rattan, Co-Founder and COO, Moment Energy
Kameale C. Terry, CEO, ChargerHelp!
Michelle Kinman, SVP Market Transformation, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)
Responder:
Samantha Lustado, Senior Geospatial Analyst, ARUP Charge4All
Simon Zewdu, Sr. Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
-POLICY/FINANCE-
Getting Ready for New Global, National, & State Climate Disclosure Rules
Moderator: Ross Zelen, Principal Consultant, CA Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Panel:
Mike Wallace, Chief Decarbonization Officer, Persefoni
Marca Hagenstad, Principal, Stantec
Michele Demers, CEO and Founder, Boundless Impact Research and Analytics
11:40 AM - 12:20 PM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY-
You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Methane Mitigation
Moderator: Ross Zelen, Principal Consultant, CA Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Panel:
Ana Bandea, Director of Methane Results, M Insights
Riley Duren, CEO, Carbon Mapper
Mark Nechodom, Senior Director for Science & Technology, Western States Petroleum Association
Erik Rodriguez, Gas Emissions R&D Team Lead, SoCalGas
- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-
University and College Sustainability
Moderator: Cecilia Estolano, CEO & Founder, Estolano Advisors and CEO, Better World Group
Panel:
Nurit Katz, Chief Sustainability Officer, UCLA
Wendell Vaughn, Principal, Educational Planning + Design, Stantec
Bharat Patel, Head of Sustainablity, Build Los Angeles Community College District
Zelinda Welch, Director of Energy & Sustainability, USC
Responder:
Brett Kelly, Business Development Manager, Ecosystems
-ENERGY-
Resiliency & Preparedness in Extreme Climate Uncertainty
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel
Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, PG&E Corporation
Rob Lempert, Director, RAND Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition
Heather Rosenberg, Los Angeles Resilience Lead, Arup
Tony Zavanelli, Principal, Energy, Stantec
Responder:
Paul Williams, President, Electric Infrastructure Security Council
Private Roundtable (By Invitation Only)
-WATER-
VX 2024 Water Charrette (By Invitation)
Moderator: Brian Jordan, Vice President, Tetra Tech
Hosted by:
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
Mark Pestrella, Director, LA County Public Works
Martin Adams, General Manager & Chief Engineer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
12:40 PM - 2:00 PM
Luncheon Plenaries
Introduction: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
Special Remarks by Tamotsu Saito, Chairman of Japan New Energy & Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Luncheon Plenary
Energy Affordability: Yes, We Can Afford to Go Green!
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel:
Caroline Choi, Senior VP, Regulatory Affairs, Southern California Edison
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Martin Adams, General Manager & Chief Engineer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Carla Peterman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Chief Sustainability Officer, Pacific Gas & Electric
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM
Post-Luncheon Plenary
Water Resiliency At Scale
Introduction: Robert Hertzberg, Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Partnership
Presentation: Susan Kennedy, Chairman & CEO, Cadiz Inc
2:30 PM - 3:25 PM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY-
How Will A.I. and Data Impact the Energy Transition?
Moderator: Minh Le, General Manager, Los Angeles County Internal Services Division
Panel:
Brian Goldman, Principal Compliance Analyst, Sonoma Clean Power
Dino E. Barajas, Global Chair of Project Finance, Baker Botts
Raj Prasad, Vice President Transformation, Stantec
Lauren Faber O'Connor, Operating Partner, Lower Carbon Capital
-WATER-
Accelerating Water Resilience through Infrastructure Finance in California
Moderator: Matt Horton, Director, Center for Regional Economics & California Center, Milken Institute/Accelerator for America
Panel:
Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow, Stanford University Water in the West
Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Chair, Energy & Environment Committee, LA City Council
John Withers, Board of Directors Member, Irvine Ranch Water District
-POLICY/FINANCE-
A Just Energy Transition—Climate Equity & Environmental Justice
Moderator: Rick Cole, Council member, City of Pasadena
Panel:
William Funderburk, Board Member and Senior Advisor, PermaCity Foundation
Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Yasmin Abraham, Co-Founder and President, Kambo Energy Group - Canada
Marta Segura, Climate Emergency Mobilization Director, LA City Climate Emergency Mobilization Office
Effie Turnbull Sanders, Vice President, Civic Engagement and Economic Partnerships
Responder:
Garrett Rapsilber, Director, HR&A
-ENERGY-
India / US Climate Agenda
Moderator: Gunjan Bagla, CEO, Amritt Inc.
Panel:
Ambassador Dr. Srikar Reddy, Consul General, Consulate of India San Francisco
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Praful M. Kulkarni, Principal, Integrated Services Director, Cannon Design
Paul Rosen, Project Scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
3:30 PM - 4:20 PM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY-
Leveraging ESG Data: Delivering Impact Beyond Megawatts
Moderator: Mike Wallace, Chief Decarbonization Officer, Persefoni
Panel
Anil Tammineedi, Pricipal, Angeleno Group
Ana Moro, Sustainable Fiance Market Specialist, Bloomberg
Daniel E. Ingram, Partner, Head of Responsible Investing, AON
Ryan Tinus, Vice President, ESG, LivCor
-WATER-
The Future of Water at Home: The 50L Home LA Pilot Project
Moderator: Ben Stapleton, Executive Director, U.S, Green Building Council California
Panel:
-POLICY/FINANCE-
Is the Workforce Training Ecosystem Evolving to Meet the Challenges?
Moderator: Judith Taylor, Partner, HR&A
Panel:
Joe Sullivan, Director of Energy Solutions, Los Angeles IBEW & NECA
Denis Obiang, Director of Power System Planning, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Jade Clemons, BlueSEA Director, AltaSea and the Port of Los Angeles
-POLICY/FINANCE-
Pitch Session: LAEDC/WTCLA International Cleantech Companies
Moderator: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
4:25 PM - 5:15 PM - Concurrent Panels
-POLICY/FINANCE
Reality Check: Speed Bumps to Successful Implementation to Hitting Clean Energy Goals
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel
Coby Skye, Fmr Deputy Director Los Angeles County Public Works, Blue Sky Environmental Consulting
Rick Cole, Councilmember, City of Pasadena
Bob Hertzberg, Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Partnership
Minh Le, General Manager, Los Angeles County Internal Services Department
-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE
Future of Clean Trucks: How to Kickstart the Clean Truck Market in the U.S. and California
Moderator: Terry O'Day, Chief Operating Officer, In-Charge Energy
Panel:
Andrew Fisher, Director of the U.S. West, Government of Alberta, Canada
Kevin Maggay, Sr. Manager of eMobility Policy, Navistar
Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO, WattEV
Toyota, TBA*
-POLICY/FINANCE-
Consul Generals’ on FDI & Response to Pitch Session
Moderator: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
with Japan, Finland, Canada, Germany, Quebec
6:30 PM - Canada Dinner (By Invitation)
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VX 2024 Day 2 Program: Tuesday, May 14, 2024
7:15 AM
Registration and Breakfast
7:45 AM - 7:55 AM
Welcome
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
David Abel, Chairman, VerdeXchange
Opening Remarks: Traci Park, LA City Council District 11
8:10 AM - 9:00 AM
Plenary
Will Metropolitan LA. Be Ready for the '28 Olympics?
Moderator: Katherine Perez, Principal and Los Angeles Office Leader, ARUP
Panel:
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief Innovation Officer, LA Metro
Doane Liu, Executive Director, Los Angeles City Tourism Department
Larry Chung, Vice President, Local Public Affairs, Southern California Edison
9:10 AM - 10:00 AM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY- HYDROGEN SUPERTRACK
VerdeXchange H2 Supertrack
Hydrogen Market Update (9:10 AM - 9:50 AM)
Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, ENSO Infrastructure LLC
Panel:
Elise Zoli, Partner, Energy and Climate Solutions, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Paul Nelson, Managing Partner, Saoradh Enterprise partners (SEP)
Maressa Brennan, Portfolio Strategy, US Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations
Mirei Isaka* Director Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO Japan)
-ENERGY-
Building Decarbonization: A Status Report
Moderator: Sara Neff, Head of Sustainability, Lendlease Americas
Panel:
Liane Randolph, Chair, California Air Resources Board
Panama Bartholomy, Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Erin McConahey, Principal, ARUP
Alex Hall, CEO, Concrete AI
Responder: Minh Le, General Manager, Los Angeles County Internal Services
-TRANSPORTATION /INFRASTRUCTURE-
Accelerating the Sustainability of our Air & Sea Ports
Moderator: Praful M. Kulkarni, Principal, Integrated Services Director, Cannon Design
Panel:
Michael Galvin, Director, Waterfront and Commerical Real Estate, Port of Los Angeles
David Reich, Deputy Executive Director of Mobility Planning and Strategy, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA)
Ellie Dean, Senior Engineer, C40 Green Shipping Corridors, ARUP
Heather Tomley, Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs, Port of Long Beach
-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-
Complete & Safe Streets
Moderator: Jacob Lipa, Founder and Principal, Lipa Consulting
Panel:
Yukio Gotoh, President and CEO, GeoSeach Inc
Alex Nazarchuk, City Engineer, City of Santa Monica
Larissa De La Cruz, Director of Public Works and Community Development, City of Lancaster
10:10 AM - 11:00 AM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY- HYDROGEN SUPERTRACK (9:50 - 10:30 AM)
Building H2 Cities and Municipal Alliances
Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, ENSO Infrastructure LLC
Panel:
Riley Saito, Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director, County of Hawaii
Kunihito Yamamoto, Deputy Mayor, Namie Town, Fukushima, Japan
Jason Caudle, City Manager, City of Lancaster
-ENERGY- HYDROGEN SUPERTRACK (10:30 - 11:15 AM)
H2 Technology and Innovation
Moderator: Tak Yokoo, Chairman, JH2F
Panel:
Jimmy Chen, Managing Director, SECA - Stanford Energy Corporate Affilates, Precourt Institute for Energy.
Jack Brouwer, Director National Fuel Cell Research Center, UC Irvice
Erika Pham, Senior Manager / Strategy, Mote Hydrogen
Lorraine Paskett, Executive Director, Advanced Clean Hydrogen, Air Products and Chemicals Inc.
Vijai Atavane, SoCalGas
- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-
An Olympics Legacy Opportunity: Parks, Culture & Placemaking
Moderator: Aura Vasquez, Fmr. Commissioner, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Panel:
Joe Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Andrea Ambriz, General Manager, Exposition Park
Mia Lehrer, President, Studio MLA
-SUSTAINABILITY-
Maximizing Verifiable Environmental Benefits
Moderator: Maya Kitei, 2023 Presidential Environmental Youth Award Recipient(PEYA), Washington University in St Louis
Panel:
Leslie Moulton-Post, President and CEO, Environmental Science Associates
Julian Parsley, Partner, Buro Happold
Sam Hall, Manager Public Private Partnerships, Schneider Electiric
-URBAN/ INFRASTRUCTURE-
What is the New Right of Way- Where Digital Impacts the Physical
Moderator: Yuval Bar-Zemer, Principal, Linear City Development LLC
Panel:
Miguel Sangalang, Executive Director & General Manager, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting
Heather Repenning, Executive Officer of Sustainability Policy, LA Metro
Tyler Starrine, Associate Director of Creative Consulting, BMW Designworks
Jarvis Murray, Commercial Rideshare and Mobility Administrator, LADOT
Jonah Bliss, Founder and Curb Whisperer, Curbivore
11:10 AM - 11:50 AM - Concurrent Panels
-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-
Urban Air Hubs - New Aviation Mobility
Moderator: Adrienne Lindgren, Senior Vice President, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Panel:
Leah Goold-Haws, President and CEO, Long Beach Economic Partnership (LBEP)
Emilien Marchand, Director of Ecosystem Partnerships, Wisk
George Kivork, Head of U.S. State and Local Policy, Joby Aviation
-WASTE & RECYCLING-
What’s Needed to Bring Carbon Capture (CCS) & Recycling to Scale in Line with California's Goals
Moderator: Virgil Welch, Partner, Caliber Strategies
Panel:
Juan Campos, VP of HSE and Sustainability, California Resources Corporation
Mark Nechodom, Senior Director for Science and Technology, Western States Petroleum Association
-URBAN/ INFRASTRUCTURE-
How is A.I. Impacting Urban Transport?
Moderator: Phil Recht, Partner, Mayer Brown
Panel:
Eli Lipmen, Executive Director, Move LA
Chris Neider, Vice President, Business Development, Starship Technologies
Martin Francisco, Associate Director, Creative Consulting, BMW Designworks
-ENERGY- HYDROGEN SUPERTRACK (11:15 AM - 12:00 PM)
Hydrogen: Project Finance Update
Moderator: Kathleen Brown, Fmr Treasurer, State of California
Panel:
Takaki Sakai, Managing Director, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG)
Tom Soto, Impact Investor, D4IR-JMS Impact Partners
Ricky Sakai, Senior Vice President Investments, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) America Inc
12:00 PM - 1:25 PM
Luncheon Plenary
California's Path to Carbon Neutrality
Introduction: Sara Neff, Head of Sustainability, Lendlease Americas
Plenary Speaker: Liane Randolph, Chair, California Air Resources Board
1:25 PM - 2:00 PM
Post-Luncheon Plenary
Game Changers: Meet the Market Makers
Introduction: Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Sara Neff, Head of Sustainability, Lendlease Americas
Andrea Ambriz, General Manager, Exposition Park
Angelina Galiteva, Board Member, California ISO (ARCHES)
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Recognition: Hydrogen Cities: Meeting the Energy Transition Moment
Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, ENSO Infrastructure LLC
Video Congratulations from Sunita Satyapal at DOE and Kathryn Barger, 5th District Supervisor, LA County Board of Supervisors
Introducing: Lancaster, CA Mayor Rex Parris - “Green Mayor of the Year Award!”
2:30 PM - 3:25 PM - Concurrent Panels
-ENERGY-
HYDROGEN SUPERTRACK (2:30 PM - 3:00 PM)
California's Hydrogen Hub
Introductions: Joy Langford, Chief Community Officer, ARCHES
Speakers:
Angelina Galiteva, Board Member, California ISO (ARCHES)
-ENERGY-
Energy Storage Comes of Age: Scaling the North America Battery Industry
Moderator: Ken Chawkins, Senior Advisor, JCI World Wide
Panel:
Sumreen Rattan, Co-Founder and COO, Moment Energy
Roman Bilak, President, Clean Tech Geomechanics Inc
Jean Lachance, Chief Assets Officer, EVLO Energy Storage
- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-
The Digital Mirror: Developing Cities, Housing, and Resilience, with A.I. - A planning revolution Fueled by New Technology
Moderator: Thomas Aujero Small, Culver City Forward
Panel:
Myrna Bittner, CEO, RUNWITHIT Synthetics
Paul Williams, President, Electric Infrastructure Security Council
Alex Fisch, Special Assistant Attorney General for Housing, California Department of Justice
Gerhard Meyer, Principal Architect, Mayer Architects
Michael Wadden, Chief Commercial Officer, Verses.ai
- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-
Housing Affordability Deconstructed/ Rethinking the Urban Planning Paradigm
Moderator: David Abel, Publisher, The Planning Report
Panel:
Rod Hamilton, LACCD
Mark Pisano, USC
Steve Glenn, Plant Prefab
Ada Peng, Director, HR&A
Kevin Harbison, Ravello Holdings
TBA, Sola Impact
-ENERGY-
HYDROGEN SUPERTRACK (3:00 PM - 3:45 PM)
Advancing H2 Transportation
Moderator: Joy Langford, Chief Community Officer, ARCHES
Panel
Justin Ward, General Manager, Fuel Cell Development, Toyota North America
Ryan Harty, Director of Sustainability and Business Development, American Honda Motor Co. Inc.
Danielle Squires, Director, Rolling Stock Business Development, Alstom
Ellie Dean, Senior Engineer, ARUP
Benjamin Jodecke, Business Development Lead, JP Joule Hydrogen
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM - Concurrent Panels
- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-
HLA Passed: What's Next?
Moderator: Ava Bromberg, President and CEO, Creative Urban Solutions, Inc.
Panel
Michael Schneider, Founder, Streets for All
Randall Winston, Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure, City of Los Angeles
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VX 2024 Day 3 Program: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 (By-Invitation Only)
7:45 AM
Bus Pick Up: Omni Hotel to San Pedro Bay Ports
8:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Boat Tour: San Pedro Bay Ports
Remarks:
Timothy McOsker, 15th District, LA City Council
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
Bus to Alta Sea
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Welcome by Terry Tamminen, CEO, AltaSea
Followed by Program & Tour of AltaSea