News

Jessica Meaney
Submitted on September 17, 2023 - 10pm

As the process to begin pulling together the City of LA’s yearly budget moves forward this fall, LA’s City Council is also beginning efforts to seriously explore a Capital Infrastructure Plan (CIP), a document that provides a long-term, unified direction for investment in a city’s infrastructure. VerdeXchange News spoke with Investing in Place’ Executive Director, Jessica Meaney, on how the city’s budgeting could better address the needs of the city, improve equity and be more transparent. Meaney opines that the current way of doing things is failing to serve residents and why her organization’s work to push for a Capital Infrastructure Plan for the City of Los Angeles has been so important.

Submitted on August 18, 2023 - 3pm

VX News shares here a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), recently signed by Australian Consul General in Los Angeles Jane Duke (pictured) and California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, that outlines the areas of cooperation that California and Australia have committed to in the fight against climate change. In particular, the agreement outlines five years of collaboration on clean energy, clean transportation, clean technologies, nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, green finance and investment and circular economy.

Gene Seroka
Submitted on August 18, 2023 - 1pm

While the Port of Los Angeles’s Executive Director was in Asia and Australia this week to meet with various groups to promote trade in LA, Director Gene Seroka was interviewed by Bloomberg Asia’s Heslinda Amin and David Ingles to discuss where the Port stands at the midpoint of the year and just before its peak season. Based on the high inventory levels and the movement of some cargo to other ports around the country, Seroka anticipates a lower than usual peak season.

Submitted on August 18, 2023 - 1pm

In a landmark decision, brought on by a lawsuit filed against the state of Montana, Judge Kathy Seeley (pictured) has ruled in favor of a group of youth plaintiffs claiming the state violated their constitutional right to a 'clean and healthful environment' by prohibiting consideration under Montana's Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) of emissions and climate impacts when permitting fossil fuel projects. The lawsuit, which was filed three years ago by plaintiffs ranging in age from 5 to 22, could have nationwide impacts with the law firm that represented the youth due back in court next year against the state of Hawaii, which, like Montana, guarantees citizens a constitutional right to a quality environment.

Submitted on July 25, 2023 - 3pm

During the previous three years of drought, California managed to reduce water consumption by 7 percent; still not achieving  Go

Submitted on July 25, 2023 - 2pm

In this exclusive interview with VX News, former CA Senate Majority Leader and former Speaker of the State Assembly, Bob Hertzberg lays out five pieces of advice that he has learned throughout his impressive political career for a future generation of decision-makers, based on some of the mos

Submitted on July 24, 2023 - 5pm

TPR shares this op-ed by former member and board president of the Southern California Rapid Transportation District (RTD) and MTA board, Nick Patsaouras, who outlines the historic and political origins of LA Metro’s policing contracts in the 1990s and subsequent degradation of security on the system. Highlighting the work of former MTA Police Chief Sharon Papa, Patsaouras highlights the necessity of having consistent, dedicated personnel specifically hired, trained, and deployed to work in and address crime, security, and quality of life challenges on LA’s transit system.

Submitted on July 18, 2023 - 4pm

With California’s energy transition well underway with broad public--and now, federal-- support, how is the state transitioning from ambitious goal setting to the “Age of Implementation?” V

Submitted on July 18, 2023 - 3pm

With another $4 billion from the Biden administration & Congress on its way to electrify and cut emissions at our nation’s ports, the federal government is continuing to demonstrate the need for modernization and innovation of our maritime infrastructure.

Submitted on June 26, 2023 - 4pm

Liam Denning lays out how a $9.2 billion loan to Ford Motor Company is a large part of Biden Administration's foreign policy strategy aimed at taking on China's dominance in EV manufacturing. 

Submitted on June 26, 2023 - 4pm

In April of the year, the EU adopted reforms and new targets for its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to expand the scope of the market-based program that is central to the EU’s decarbonization strategy and update targets aimed at achieving 62% reductions in carbon emissions by 2030. VX presents this timely point/counterpoint on emissions trading as a ‘tool in the toolbox’ for incentivizing carbon emissions reduction.

Submitted on May 16, 2023 - 10am

With a new $3 billion dollar loan guarantee to Sunnova Energy Corp. for a nationwide virtual power plant, the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) is working to accelerate deployment of clean energy resources across the country.

21st Century Agriculture Renaissance Report
Submitted on April 23, 2023 - 9pm

As California faces the impacts of climate change—how to address the interconnected challenges facing the state's energy, water, and food systems remains a foremost challenge.

Ben Porritt
Submitted on April 23, 2023 - 5pm

With California High-Speed Rail updates putting its projected total cost at $128 billion, Brightline West’s new high speed rail connection between Southern California and Las Vegas plans to break ground sometime this year for a fraction of the cost.

Jake Levine
Submitted on April 23, 2023 - 1pm

In alignment with the Biden administration’s government-wide commitment to combatting the climate crisis, Jake Levine serves as the first Chief Climate Officer of the US International Development Finance Corporation. As a global development finance institution, in this exclusive interview with VX News, he elaborates on the agency’s goal to drive a surge in climate finance in countries around the world focused on clean energy, ports, agriculture, the blue economy, and more. 

Headshot of David Jacot
Submitted on April 13, 2023 - 1pm

In this VX News interview, Jacot highlights some of the innovative rebates, pilots, and research through LADWP to increase adoption of solar resources in the City of Los Angeles.

Headshot of Martha Davis
Submitted on April 13, 2023 - 1pm

This Mono Lake team of water experts argue that the State Water Resources Control Board needs to update its rules that are supposed to raise Mono Lake to the mandated ecological protection level while enabling LADWP to obtain future water from Mono Lake.

Headshot of Tyler Studds
Submitted on April 5, 2023 - 5pm

As the state continues to develop a roadmap for permitting offshore wind, Tyler Studds reiterates the critical importance of aligning with local stakeholders, concurrently developing upgraded port infrastructure, and collaborating with federal partners to deliver this much-needed clean power as expeditiously as possible.

Hilary Norton
Submitted on April 5, 2023 - 4pm

Tthe two leaders highlight  the opportunities—whether through policy or budget decisions—to incentivize mode shift, active transportation choices, and zero-emissions mobility. 

Headshot of Matt Horton
Submitted on April 5, 2023 - 11am

In this interview with VX News, Matt Horton, Director of the Center for Regional Economics and California Center at the Milken Institute, elaborates the opportunities to catalyze the climate and clean energy project pipeline and operationalize resilient economic development strategies across California.