Submitted on December 12, 2023 - 12pm
In Mid November at CoMotion LA, Michael Galvin of the Port of LA and Elise Zoli of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati shared valuable insights into the promise and significance of the seven newly funded hydrogen hubs. What follows is a transcript of the dialogue between Moderator John Rossant and the two panelists. The panel not only highlights the National Hydrogen Hubs awards goals', but also touches upon: the quest for zero-emission alternatives to battery electric, port decarbonization, the challenge of scaling demand, and the need for a consistent regulatory framework.
Submitted on December 12, 2023 - 12pm
VX News, to inform our readers, spoke with Ted Bardacke, CEO of Clean Power Alliance, on the role that CCAs (Community Choice Aggregates) are playing in successfully bringing renewables to everyday power users and the regulatory decisions framing how consumers are being offered both greater choice re how their needs are met and more affordable electric rates. Bardacke also elaborates on CPA’s recent deal with SunZia, a massive wind farm project in New Mexico that will bring 3000 megawatts of wind energy to California; and, why the state should not abandon efforts to unify the power grids of the Western States.
Submitted on December 12, 2023 - 12pm
This week, Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference to reflect on her first year in office as the City of Los Angeles' Mayor. VX News here shares a transcript to the Mayor’s full address and comments. In her address, the Mayor offered a progress report on her many initiatives: the Inside Safe program, her office’s executive directives “streamlining” affordable housing development, the commitments being made to building a green economy, as well as her many public safety initiatives.
Submitted on December 12, 2023 - 12pm
At a panel at CoMotionLA’s recent convening in Los Angeles, featured panelists discussed just what their ideal next five years for the city might look like. VX News provides an excerpt of the panelist’s comments, including those offered by: Nancy Sutley, LA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Hilary Norton, Commissioner of the California Transport Commission, Nik Karalis, CEO of Woods Bagot, and John Rossant, CEO of CoMotion. Amongst the topics discussed are sustainability and housing policy challenges; the future of mobility; public safety; and an Olympics 2028 wish-list.
Submitted on November 29, 2023 - 12am
David Abel, Chairman of VerdeXchange moderated a CoMotionLA panel that included Lynda Tran, DOT Director of Public Engagement and Andrew Rogers, FHA's Deputy Administrator, as well as TAE Power Solution's Rob Capaldi, and Petersen Automotive historian Leslie Kendell on the rapidly approaching transition. Panelists addressed the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program ($5 billion), the Discretionary Grant Program for Charging and Fueling Infrastructure ($2.5 billion), as well as the challenges of unifying the states re: standards.
Submitted on November 29, 2023 - 12am
Since the advent of Uber, Lyft, and other Transportation Network Companies (TNC’s), taxi businesses like Los Angeles Yellow Cab have been exploring ways to reinvent their business models and claim back lost revenue from their new, less regulated competitors. Over the last decade, with the passage of AB1069 which eased regulatory burdens on Taxis and a pivot to more contract work, taxi cabs have begun to recover. On the other side of the street, TNCs are now looking to fill the gaps in their own service by teaming up with the once-upon-a-time enemy cab companies, with Uber and LA Yellow Cab being the most recent of those collaborations. VX News spoke with Bill Rouse, CEO of Southern California taxi operations, about his new partnership and the collaborative benefits to be seen by taxi operators. Rouse also addresses the taxi industry future, the not-so-threatening robotaxi business, and future groundside operations at LAX.
Submitted on November 20, 2023 - 10am
The I-10 freeway, which stretches from California to Florida, passes through the U.S. Sun Belt and, along its way, many of the United State’s largest and most impactful urban cities, among them Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, and New Orleans -- cities which are simultaneously facing record homelessness, unprecedented weather, and housing crises. VX News recently interviewed Wellington Reiter, founder of 10 Across, a thought network committed to fostering sun belt city collaborations along the Interstate-10. Reiter elaborates on: an upcoming Los Angeles 10 Across Summit (Dec 5-7th); as well as ASU in DTLA; and of the obvious need for civic minded people addressing the nation’s challenges: water, climate mitigation, energy transition, resilience, affordable housing and governance.
Submitted on November 20, 2023 - 10am
As homelessness numbers in the United States rise, no state has escaped untouched by the crisis. In an effort to unify problem solving in the face of such a widespread issue, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, founded in 1932, privately convened recently in Los Angeles to open more collaboration and data sharing on their respective methods for combating the issue. VX News presents this excerpt from a public press conference on the meeting, featuring comments from the Mayors of Reno, Houston, Los Angeles, and Riverside. In the press conference, the mayor’s shared their hopefulness on the utility of the meeting, as well as answered questions from the press on California’s new CARE Courts and the future of Mayor Bass’ Inside Safe program.
Submitted on November 20, 2023 - 10am
Caltech, which has long been at the forefront of science & innovation, has been investing for years in its campus’ sustainability. VX News spoke with John Onderdonk, working out of the Linde Center for Global Environmental Science, on his role as Caltech’s Assistant Vice President of Facilities Operations and Services at the campus and the many efforts underway to modernize their grid and prepare for the future realities of climate change. In the interview, Onderdonk speaks of the challenges of meeting the demands of a “small city” (Caltech) and the challenge of, literally, building the airplane while you’re flying it.
Submitted on November 20, 2023 - 10am
Urban leaders were gathered on October 18-20 for Bloomberg CityLab, a summit focused on a range of issues, from rapid urbanization to housing affordability. On the final day of the conference, Pete Buttigieg, the United States Secretary of Transportation, spoke about Vision Zero, the idea that the U.S. might hopefully, one day, see zero road deaths; he also spoke of the essential place of local communities as stewards of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and his positive outlook on how we can move past this difficult decade by delivering on the explicit promises being made by our leaders today.
Submitted on November 15, 2023 - 9am
VX News, to understand the importance of the India/US budding relationship, spoke with veteran Indian journalist, Pallava Bagla, on the upcoming satellite launch and opportunities for future collaboration between the two countries on green economy issues. Also, Bagla addresses India’s embrace of nuclear power and their long history of pursuing sustainable practices.
Submitted on November 15, 2023 - 9am
VX News interviews Scott Kratz, Senior Vice President of Building Bridges Across the River and 11th Street Bridge Park Director, on the decade-long project as it is about to break ground early next year. Kratz talks of the importance of fully engaging with affected communities early and often to create community-centered civic spaces. Kratz also opines on civic lessons learned & applicable to repurposing and extending the life of other federal infrastructure investments, e.g., the Los Angeles River Revitalization project.
Submitted on November 15, 2023 - 9am
Though all of Los Angeles was impacted by COVID, Council District 11, which includes Venice, Brentwood, LAX and much of the Westside coast, felt the loss of retail and tourism revenue particularly strongly. As the district recovers and deals with post-covid and economic pains, among those increased homelessness and greater housing density, constituents are demanding a return to normal. VX News spoke with the district’s new council member, Traci Park, on what’s being done to address these challenges to livability. In the conversation, Park talks about LA’s Sensitive Location Resolution 41.18, the usurpation by the State of local planning, and the need for civic engagement and political transparency.
Submitted on October 24, 2023 - 11am
In 2021, President Biden signed a massive 1.2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill aimed to address growing concerns in the country with regards to aging infrastructure in the face of continued population and density growth. VX News spoke with CEO of Denver International Airport, Phil Washington, on how his airport is tackling that exponential growth and where that infrastructure money is being put to use. Washington also shares the economic implications of making DIA one of the most traveled through airports in the Rockies, as well as his thoughts on what it will take to ensure LA’s Olympic Games in ’28 will be a successful event.
Submitted on October 24, 2023 - 11am
With greater housing density all but guaranteed in California, urban mobility and traffic congestion have become pressing public policy issues. VX News, to inform public discussion, spoke with John Rossant, CEO of CoMotion, about both the future of mobility and his upcoming CoMotionLA conference in LA November 14-16th. The latter will draw to Los Angeles some of the world’s most influential leaders and innovative companies (public & private), as well as the municipalities who are pushing the boundaries of mobility. In doing so, it will offer conference participants opportunities to meet, connect and strike deals with many of Mobility’s key stakeholders Additionally addressed at CoMotionLA will be the challenges of rewiring cities.
Submitted on October 24, 2023 - 11am
This year’s LABC Sustainability Summit took place at USC on September 22nd, bringing together both local and national industry and political leaders to discuss what's being done and what should be done to bring us closer to a sustainable future. One panel, moderated by Mary Nichols, Director of the Climate Group, featured a discussion with Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, Gene Seroka, addressing what's happening with sustainability at the Port of LA. VX News presents here a transcribed excerpt from this panel.
Submitted on October 24, 2023 - 11am
Following the announcement that California had been awarded 1.2 billion dollars in grant funding for hydrogen, Mayor Bass, members of the Los Angeles City Council, and POLA, hosted a conference at the Port of Los Angeles to celebrate and voice their intentions towards utilizing the grant to create a hydrogen hub, a major step forward for the region in terms of reaching zero emissions goals. The grant will help LADWP create one single platform where distributed energy resources like Electric Vehicles (EVs) and EV chargers, energy storage, solar photovoltaic systems (PV), and demand response infrastructure can be controlled, in response to grid needs. Doing so will enable LADWP to quickly rebalance the electrical system after an extreme climate event like wildfires, heatwaves or tropical storms. VX News brings you the complete transcript from the announcement, featuring comments from the Mayor, Gene Seroka, Councilmember Tim McOsker, Nancy Sutley, and Aram Benyamin.
Submitted on September 17, 2023 - 10pm
In this exclusive interview with VX News, Marty Adams, the General Manager & Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, with his retirement on the horizon, reflects on his decades-long career in the public agency, including his efforts to pioneer the national hydrogen energy revolution, as well as developing new strategies for water recycling and stormwater capture.
Submitted on September 17, 2023 - 10pm
Just a day after announcing that the state of California is suing five of the biggest oil companies in the world for damages caused, and to be caused, for their ‘decades-long campaign of deception’ surrounding climate change, Governor Gavin Newsom also announced, via an interview with the New York Times at Climate Week NYC, his intention to sign two recently passed California climate bills, SB253 and 261. These two bills will require major companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, a move with national and global repercussions. The Governor also spoke at length on California’s continued commitment to a green low carbon future, as well as his view that California is where the future happens first.
Submitted on September 17, 2023 - 10pm
VerdeXchange News recently interviewed Jon Rawding, the CEO of Euro Mechanical - an Emirati company that for more than four decades has supported the growth of Abu Dhabi’s energy sector - to better understand the continuing evolution of UAE’s energy goals and investments. Rawding confirms not only continued investment by UAE in oil and gas growth, but also their conscious evolution to investment in renewables. Rawding explains the aforementioned is all taking place in the UAE through ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, as the result of the sovereign’s leadership commitment to generational pragmatism in a time of worldwide climate existentialism.
