Monday, January 26, 2015
7:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
7:45 AM
David Abel, Chairman, VerdeXchange
Bill Allen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Mark Ridley-Thomas, Supervisor, 2nd District LA County Board of Supervisors
8:10 AM
Morning Plenary: The Future is Now -- The Green Economy Going to Scale (B1)
Moderator:
Robert Hertzberg, 18th District Senator, California State Senate
Speakers:
Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Congressman, Oregon's 3rd District, US House of Representatives
Steve Berberich, President and Chief Executive Officer, California ISO
Bob Foster, Board Member, EPCOR Utilities
More than ever before, there is a sense throughout California that “green” is not only shorthand for the technologies and policies that benefit the environment, but also the color of the money profited by their creators. In simple terms, green seems to be going mainstream. Some of this is because technology has just gotten better easier, cheaper, and cooler. Some is because of state policies that have incented or even demanded change. And some is, hopefully, because the sensibilities of the average consumer have gradually shifted to prioritize environmental stewardship. Have we — government and business — successfully “primed the pump” so that we can stand back and “watch the magic happen,” or is there more to be done? To what degree do we need to protect consumers from bad ideas, or force them to pick good ones? Will today’s subsidies and incentives (rebates, tax credits, etc.) fade away, or will we always need them to keep innovation and early adoption going?
8:45 AM
Plenary: Will Distributed Energy Resources Ultimately Replace the Regulated Utilities? (B1)
Moderator:
Jim Kelly, Former Senior Vice President, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
Carla Peterman, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Robyn Beavers, Senior Vice President, NRG Energy
Jonathan Weisgall, Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Caroline Choi, Vice President, Vice President of Energy and Environmental Policy, Southern California Edison
Everywhere we turn, talk is about distributed energy resources — solar rooftops, fuel cells, microturbines, energy storage devices, and even vehicle-to-grid plans. For a number of reasons, some economic and some environmental, people are developing a desire for energy self-sufficiency that we’ve never seen before. In California, the Zero Net Energy residential goal is less than 6 years away. The obvious question is how these new technologies — and this new consumer sensibility — will affect the traditional regulated utilities. Will they be a partner or an adversary? An enabler or a roadblock? And how do we deal with the confluence of massive capital investment for utility infrastructure replacement and modernization with the potential for decreasing demand for the very products that infrastructure will provide? Do we need a new kind of utility ratemaking compact — or even a new kind of utility?
9:45 AM
Moderator:
Adel Hagekhalil, Assistant Director, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Speakers:
Harlan Kelly, General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
George Hawkins, General Manager, DC Water and Sewer Authority
Jack Baylis, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Baylis Group
Timeyan Dafeta, Principal Engineer, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Marty Adams, Water Systems Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles is facing major challenges: drought conditions, climate change, stormwater pollution, water quality, lack of open space, aging infrastructure, limited funding, and many others. The combined last three years represent the third driest 3-year stretch on record for California, with 92 percent of the state suffering extreme drought. The drought has led Los Angeles to increase use of imported water to over 80 percent of total consumption. In order to address these challenges, we need to manage water as “one water” and implement innovative solutions that provide multi-benefits and leverage resources to do more with less. However, many barriers have to be overcome to realize this integrated vision of one water. This panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing this "One Water Vision" and how to increase local water supply.
9:45 AM
Moderator:
Bill Allen, Chief Executive Officer and President, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Speakers:
Dean Wiberg, Manager, Commercial Technology Partnerships Office, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Dennis Luna, Managing Partner, Luna & Glushon
Peter Bryant, Senior Fellow and Honorary Co-Founder, Kellogg Innovation Network
Catherine Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association
Andy Ridge, Executive Director, Water Policy Branch, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Donald Paul, Executive Director, University of Southern California Energy Institute
Although often overlooked, the oil industry’s cyclical nature perpetually returns oil to a lower price. New sources of fossil fuel have already been tapped through fracking—a technology that continues to make available abundant reserves of natural gas in the United States. However what are some of the environmental and economic shortcomings of fracking? Where does California stand, keeping in mind that two counties have banned it outright, but also that fracking in California would likely lead to huge new oil and gas production with impacts on jobs, taxes, and investment creation opportunities?
9:45 AM
Roundtable/ Panel: The Development of the Energy Imbalance Market in the West (P1)
Moderator:
Jim Kelly, Former Senior Vice President, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Congressman, Oregon's 3rd District, US House of Representatives
Jonathan Weisgall, Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Mark Rothleder, Vice President of Market Quality and Renewable Integration, CAISO
Walter Spansel, Vice President, Transmission, NV Energy
One of the more interesting energy market developments of the decade, the Energy Imbalance Market, extends the CAISO real-time electricity market to other balancing authorities in the west. In simplest terms, bigger and more diverse electricity markets give more opportunities to balance demand and supply efficiently — simply because bigger markets have more diversity in weather, renewable generation patterns, even different time zones that impact when peaks hit the grid. For instance, resources such as wind and solar power fluctuate depending on the weather, which can be calm and sunny in one area, and cloudy and windy in another. By capturing a wider portfolio of resources, an EIM optimizes available regional resources to ensure electricity can be dispatched where and when it is needed. That should reduce costs and enhance reliability. In November 2014 EIM went live with PacifiCorp with customers in six states. NV Energy and its customers are expected to come into EIM in October of this year. How will the EIM unfold for California and the Southwest? What have we learned so far? And will customers really see tangible benefits? How does this concept grow in the future? Will we – or should we – see an interconnected national electricity market someday?
10:45 AM
Moderator:
Steve Sullivan, Former Executive, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
Robyn Beavers, Senior Vice President, NRG Energy
Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Evan Birenbaum, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Chai Energy
Nandhu Nandhakumar, Senior Vice President of Advanced Technologies, LG Technology Center of America
The smart grid was delivered with a promise to customers for a smarter, safer and more reliable energy future, but how will customers adopt and interact with these advanced technologies? What tools and resources will enable customers to stay informed and promote responsible energy consumption? How will we serve our customers better and achieve an appropriate balance between energy policy, technology, energy reliability and affordability? Join this discussion to find out how.
10:45 AM
Moderator:
Felicia Marcus, Board Chair, California State Water Resources Control Board
Speakers:
Jeff Kightlinger, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
Michael George, Delta Watermaster, State of California
Joe Byrne, Chair, California Water Commission
Jay Ziegler, Director of External Affairs and Policy, The Nature Conservancy
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta serves as a vital hub in California’s water system, with much of Southern California and Central Valley agriculture heavily dependent upon it for exported water, Delta residents and farmers relying on it, and fish and wildlife lifecycles dependent upon it. It is where water users and fish and wildlife collide. It has been the subject of conferences, legislation, reports, litigation, speculation, and focused attention over the last couple of decades. However, there has not been a time of as much focused attention and action as the last few years. The panel brings experts and practitioners who are now actively working on Delta issues together to give a practical update on what’s up now and what to watch for in the coming year or two.
10:45 AM
A New Generation of Sustainable Public Transport (P1)
Moderator:
Sue Minter, Secretary of Transportation, Vermont
Speakers:
Michelle Boehm, Southern California Regional Director, California High-Speed Rail Authority
Martha Welborne, Chief Planning Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Yasutake Kojima, Director, East Japan Railway, New York Office
Richard Katz, Board Member, Metrolink
The movement of people and goods in the US is almost wholly reliant on the combustion of fossil fuels. Great strides have been made in shifting to electricity and other less carbon intensive fuels and there are promising breakthroughs in battery and fuel cell technologies. At the same time transportation systems are being transformed so that “getting there” is not only more energy efficient but is also contributing to the livability of our cities and the health of residents and ecosystems. Biking and walking have replaced cars for many trips and public transit and inter-city rail systems are growing despite American’s historic obsession with the automobile and the car centric land use patterns of many US cities and towns, including those in California. Hear from California transportation leaders on how they have overcome these and other challenges and are building world class transit and rail systems today.
10:45 AM
Cap & Trade Auction Revenue Expenditure Funding and Implementation of SB 375 (B3)
Moderator:
Darrell Steinberg, Former President Pro Tem, California State Senate
Speakers:
Gail Goldberg, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute-Los Angeles
Jonathan Parfrey, Executive Director, Climate Resolve
Lauren Faber, West Coast Political Director, Environmental Defense Fund
Jim Wunderman, President and CEO, Bay Area Council
Responder:
Tanya Peacock, Environmental Policy Manager, Southern California Gas Company
Passed in 2008, SB 375 directed the Air Resources Board to set regional targets aligned with the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for cars and light trucks under AB 32. This fiscal year, the market is expected to generate $1 billion in revenues, which will fund projects ranging from transit, to high-speed rail, to affordable housing. However, how are these revenues going to be spent within California’s MPOs? With these policy-guided market forces spurring innovation and investments in clean energy, what opportunities are arising from the implementation of SB 375? Looking beyond 2020, what are some prospects for the development and growth of related industries?
11:40 AM
The Holy Grail: An Update on Energy Storage (P3)
Moderator:
Jim Kelly, Former Senior Vice President, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
James Jessop, Business Advisor, Storage and Conversion of Energy, Hydro-Québec Research Institute
Steve Sullivan, Former Executive, Southern California Edison
Jeff Reed, Director of Emerging Technologies, Sempra Energy Utilities
Go Takizawa, Chief Representative, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Silicon Valley Office
Practical and effective energy storage has been regarded as “The Holy Grail” of the electricity industry for at least a decade. With it, renewables make much more sense for grid operators and customers. In theory, the problem of matching supply and demand in real-time with increasing amounts of inherently variable supply resources – the wind and the sun – becomes manageable if you can store energy when it’s available, and dispatch it when it’s needed. In many ways, 2014 was “the year of storage” in California. With Commissioner Peterman’s historic order mandating the purchase of an unprecedented amount of energy storage by California’s IOUs, municipal utilities followed suit with their own ambitious targets. Interest in storage is at an all-time high. Can we deliver large amounts of energy storage, of all different sorts and with different purposes for the grid, in the next few years? What is happening with technologies that will “answer the bell” in a safe, practical, reliable and cost-effective way for California’s customers?
11:40 AM
Financing and Executing Capital Improvement Infrastructure Programs (P2)
Moderators:
Kathleen Brown, Partner, Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips, LLP
Speakers:
George Hawkins, General Manager, DC Water and Sewer Authority
Lisa Mowery, Chief Financial Officer, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Peter Taylor, Former CFO, University of California
Emilio Cruz, Assistant General Manager, SFPUC
Today, America’s infrastructure is woefully underfunded and its condition is severely degraded. Our infrastructure is the backbone of America’s economy and a significant determinant of the quality of life in local communities. If not for the United States’ networks of roads and bridges, its waterways and sanitation systems, its power plants and electric grids, and its airports and harbors, our economic preeminence would vanish. The golden age of American infrastructure investment was during the post-World War II era. For California, the heyday of infrastructure investment was in the 1960’s with the advance of the California Water Project, the California highway system and the huge investment in higher education facilities. Forecasts suggest that our nation’s infrastructure investment shortfall will be $1.1 trillion by 2020, increasing to $4.7 trillion by 2040. The bottom line, managing in this tight fiscal climate, is one of our state and our nation’s greatest challenges. This distinguished panel will explore innovative ways that local leaders have navigated this difficult environment to repair, update, and replace their community’s crucial infrastructure.
11:40 AM
Transportation Infrastructure & Technologies (P1)
Moderator:
Paul Krekorian, District 2 Councilmember, Los Angeles City Council
Speakers:
Terry O'Day, Vice President, eVgo, NRG Energy
Dr. Bernd Fischer, Consul General, German Consulate - Los Angeles
Edward Kjaer, Director of Plug In Electric Vehicle Readiness, Southern California Edison
New technologies are transforming mobility and our cities. Electric-drive that allows fueling at home, mobile applications and services, driverless cars, and more are even altering business models. Manufacturing companies like BMW are transitioning into service providers, and utilities and other energy companies are investing or proposing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into electric charging infrastructure in Southern California alone. Taken together, the future of our cities may be cleaner, quieter, and more efficient if these technology transformations work… but will they?
11:40 AM
Department of Defense & Sustainability: Federal and Military Ecosystem Management (B3)
Moderator:
Earl Blumenauer, Congressman, Oregon's 3rd District, US House of Representatives
Speakers:
Dennis McGinn, Assistant Secretary, US Navy
James "Phil" Huber, Partner, Marstel-Day
Janea Scott, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
The Department of Defense has developed strong relationships and collaborated with Western states over many years and shares many similar goals, including promoting energy security, energy efficiency, alternative transportation technologies, and environmental stewardship. An example of this collaboration is through the Western Regional Partnership (WRP), an organization of federal, state, tribal and military partners in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, many agencies are working collaboratively to protect natural resources and promote sustainability, homeland security, and military readiness in the West. This panel will explore how the Department of Defense is working with state agencies and private companies to ensure their missions and bases operate sustainably.
12:25 PM
Moderator:
Bob Foster, Former Chair, California ISO
Speakers:
Michael Picker, President, California Public Utilities Commission
Kazuo Furukawa, Chairman, New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Robert Weisenmiller, Chairman, California Energy Commission
Jim Avery, Senior Vice President, Power Supply, San Diego Gas & Electric
Susan Kennedy, CEO and Board Member, Advanced Microgrid Solutions
To those of us that watch energy policy and the orders and regulations that implement it, it sometimes appears that regulation hamstrings progress. Why can’t I buy electricity from a different provider? Because there’s a quota for direct access, and I may be dead before my number comes up on the waiting list. In other cases, it seems that policy gets out ahead of technology, creating goals that can’t be met without extraordinary burdens, like Zero Net Energy homes by 2020. What is the proper and best confluence of policy and energy technology? Should policy push innovators to stretch the boundaries, or protect consumers (and businesses) from the premature adoption of half-baked ideas? How do we move the clean energy market forward purposefully, but still safeguard the economically disadvantaged, the elderly, and other groups that are less able to “adopt early”? Is there a better framework for discussion and collaboration than the traditional regulatory and legislative processes that many find impenetrable or fundamentally adversarial? The US is not the only country facing these challenges. Perhaps no nation has faced a more pressing need to integrate energy policy and technology quickly and effectively than post-Fukushima Japan. What lessons can we learn about how to successfully blend innovation and regulation from the Japanese experience?
1:35 PM
Post-Lunch Plenary: Natural Gas -- Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution? (B1)
Moderator:
Jim Kelly, Former Senior Vice President, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
Dennis Arriola, President and Chief Executive Officer, Southern California Gas Company
Robert Weisenmiller, Chair, California Energy Commission
Mary Nichols, Chairman, California Air Resources Board
When it comes to natural gas, California seems to be facing an “identity crisis.” On the one hand, natural gas prices are at remarkable lows, supply seems assured for many years to come, and many states are proudly proclaiming their intentions to “clean up” by shifting away from coal and into gas for generation and other uses. On the other hand, California policy seems to be sending a different message about natural gas, through recent and proposed changes to California codes intended to reduce the role of gas in the home, and moving natural gas toward central plants that can be more easily regulated or displaced by renewables. Where does — and should — natural gas fit in California’s energy future? Do policy makers really want to reduce gas consumption? What will be the impact on low-income residents? And what is the natural gas industry doing to respond to environmental concerns and aspirations?
1:35 PM
Roundtable/ Panel: Sustainability and Real Estate Development -- An Advanced Course (A)
Moderator:
Cecilia Estolano, Member, Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors LLC
Speakers:
Lew Horne, President, Greater Los Angeles/Orange County Region, CBRE
Wayne Ratkovich, President and CEO, The Ratkovich Company
Brad Copithorne, Vice President of Commercial PACE Programs, Renewable Funding, LLC
Mia Lehrer, President, Mia Lehrer + Associates
Leaders in commercial leasing, development and renewable energy financing provide perspective on the next wave of advances in energy efficiency and renewable power for the building sector. What does Governor Brown’s call to double the efficiency of existing buildings by 2030 mean for real estate developers? How real is the leasing premium for sustainable buildings and are local governments providing the permitting and expediting assistance needed to meet the Governor’s ambitious goal?
2:35 PM
Are Real-Time Price Signals a Key Part of a Green Energy Future? (P2)
Moderator:
Abby Stoller, Strategic Marketing Leader, Renewable Energy, General Electric Power & Water
Speakers:
David Jacot, Director of Efficiency Solutions, Los Angeles Department of Power and Water
Evan Birenbaum, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Chai Energy
While all agree that public energy policy should advance efficiency, the question is will consumers take notice. With connected home technologies, will behavior change for the better, or, will consumers just be upset with the costs? Will the economically disadvantaged be further disadvantaged? Lastly, are connected home smart-technologies a better way to effect customer conservation?
2:35 PM
Integrating Water and Energy: New DG Models for Water and Power (B3)
Moderator:
Michael Carlin, Deputy General Manager and Chief Operating Officer, SFPUC
Speakers:
Robyn Beavers, Senior Vice President, NRG Energy
Omar Moghaddam, Division Manager, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Donald Paul, Executive Director, University of Southern California Energy Institute
Distributed generation has taken hold in the energy industry, in particular for renewable technology such as solar PV. Can the same concepts be applied to water and power? With power and water systems increasingly interdependent, join us as we discuss how designing infrastructure with distributed production and business models in mind can integrate water and power. The panel will also explore how close we are to having the right technology, proactive regulatory thinking, and suitable financing to push distributed networks forward as a viable alternative to centralized systems for both water and power.
2:35 PM
Cars 3.0: What Will Fuel the Automobile, Bus, Train, and Truck of the Future (P3)
Moderator:
Mary Nichols, Chairman, California Air Resources Board
Speakers:
Janea Scott, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Frank Breust, Vice President of Governmental Affairs, BMW Group
Terry O'Day, Vice President, evGo, NRG Energy
Rodger Schwecke, Vice President, Customer Solutions, Southern California Gas Company
Transportation - both personal vehicles and freight transport - are the largest source of air pollution, toxic air contaminants, and greenhouse gas emissions in California. State air, energy, and transportation policy agencies are converging on integrated solutions to align investments in infrastructure as well as regulatory policy and incentives on solutions that can meet 2050 air and climate goals. Can we all agree what the future of mobility in Southern California looks like?
2:35 PM
Sustainability Performance Reporting (P1)
Moderator:
Michael Wallace, Managing Director, BrownFlynn
Speakers:
Thomas Day Jr, Chief Sustainability Officer, United States Postal Service
Rick Cole, Deputy Mayor of Budget and Innovation, City of Los Angeles
Mark Callaway, Senior Vice President, Morgan Stanley
Nancy Sutley, Chief Sustainability and Economic Development Officer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
James Stinson, Client Technical Professional of Financial Performance Management, IBM
The word sustainability is being used across all parts of the economy, from multinational corporations; to federal, state and local agencies; to industry and professional associations; to entire supply chains. This session will provide an overview of how major institutions are addressing their sustainability through the measurement, management, and disclosure of performance information. The session will also discuss how the financial markets are incentivizing sustainability performance and how technology is helping a wide range of entities collect and leverage this new type of performance information.
3:30 PM
Moderator:
Eliot Abel, Strategic Operations Manager, GE Renewable Energy
Speakers:
Sanjay Ranchod, Assistant General Counsel and Director, Policy & Electricity Markets, SolarCity
Howard Chang, Senior Manager and Segment Leader for Channel Partner Operations, SunEdison
Carla Peterman, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Rapid growth in rooftop solar installations is posing new challenges to grid operators and threatening the viability of the traditional utility business model. Are solar developers and utilities destined to be at odds or is there a way where both can benefit from the growth in DG? What are the new commercial models, grid-friendly technologies, and/or policies that can help pave the path forward?
3:30 PM To 5:15 PM
Water Infrastructure -- Reducing Reliance on Imported Water (B3)
Moderator:
Doane Liu, Deputy Executive Director and Chief of Staff, Port of Los Angeles
Speakers:
Adel Hagekhalil, Assistant Director, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Nancy Sutley, Chief Sustainability and Economic Development Officer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Randy Truby, Comptroller, International Desalination Association
Felicia Marcus, Board Chair, California State Water Resources Control Board
Gordon Johnson, Chief Engineer, Metropolitan Water District
Mark Gold, Acting Director, UCLA Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
Marty Adams, Water Systems Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Guillaume Clairet, Executive Vice President, H20 Innovations
Jack Baylis, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Baylis Group
Due to extreme drought conditions, the just completed 2013-2014 rain season was the seventh driest year in Los Angeles since recordkeeping began in 1877. The drought has led our City to increase use of imported water to over 80 percent of consumption. Imported water is costly. Furthermore, our imported water supply is at an immediate and long term risk due to the impacts of global warming, which are reducing the Sierra snowpack, the key water supplier for much of California. Los Angeles could face extreme hardship in the event of an earthquake that severs the aqueducts that deliver water here. Reducing imported water use is of critical importance to Los Angeles. In November 2014, Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive directive to implement an integrated water strategy that increases local water supplies, improves water security in the context of climate change and seismic vulnerability, reduces per capita potable water use by 20 percent by 2017, and reduces purchase of imported potable water by 50 percent by 2024. This panel will discuss the tools and methods to achieve the Mayor’s directive and reduce Los Angeles’s reliance on imported water.
3:30 PM
Moderator:
Stephen Cheung, Director of International Trade, Port of Los Angeles
Speakers:
Hector De La Torre, Commissioner, California Air Resources Board
Jerilyn Lopez Mendoza, Environmental Policy Manager, Southern California Gas Company
Noel Hacegaba, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Long Beach
The San Pedro Bay Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the fifth busiest container seaports in the world, moving more than $260 billion in trade and close to 15 million TEUs per year. The ships, trucks, trains and other diesel-powered equipment and harbor craft at the ports are major sources of air pollution in a region that already has some of the worst air quality in the nation. To combat this issue, the San Pedro Bay Ports are working diligently to come up with effective tools and strategies to green and grow the ports. For example, the San Pedro Bay Ports, with the participation and cooperation of the U.S. EPA, CARB and SCAQMD, have developed the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), the most comprehensive, far-reaching strategy to combat air pollution ever developed by any United States seaport. It involves hundreds of millions of dollars of investment by the ports and private sector businesses and expedites the introduction of new and innovative methods of reducing emissions prior to that of any federal or state requirements. The “Ports & Their Greening” Panel will explore the current developments and future challenges that the Ports will face as the demand for international imports and exports continues to grow. The panelists will also provide key insights into some programs and strategies that have turned the San Pedro Bay Ports into one of the greenest port complexes in the world.
3:30 PM
How Technology and Competitive Drive Are Reinventing Mobility and the Urban Environment (P1)
Moderator:
Billie Greer, President, Southern California Leadership Council
Speakers:
Gabe Klein, Special Venture Partner, Fontinalis Partners
Bill Rouse, General Manager, Yellow Cab of Los Angeles
Jeff Chernick, Chief Executive Officer, RideAmigos
Eric Spiegelman, President, Los Angeles Taxicab Commission
Nat Gale, Transportation Manager, Mayor's Office of Transportation, City of Los Angeles
Our newfound technological advancements and competitive drive are elevated to a level with major impacts for urban and ground transportation. Here in Los Angeles, Taxi Commission documents show that in the first quarter of 2014, right after UberX (Uber’s low-cost service) began operating in Los Angeles, conventional taxi rides dropped by about twenty per cent. As these new platforms challenge current practices, outdated rules, and vested interests, how can planners, policymakers, and private companies develop safe products to deliver services to customers? How can we best use technology and innovative thinking to provide a user-friendly urban ground transportation system? What would such a system look like, if you were the designer? And is there a need for a new regulatory framework?
4:25 PM
Innovation in Financing for Renewables and Energy Efficiency (P2)
Moderator:
Eliot Abel, Strategic Operations Manager, GE Renewable Energy
Speakers:
Cisco DeVries, CEO, Renewable Funding LLC
Tim Romer, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
Tom Cain, Co-Founder and CEO, GSV Sustainable Partners
Albert Luu, Structured Finance Vice President, SolarCity
Howard Chang, Senior Manager and Segment Leader for Channel Partner Operations, SunEdison
Innovative financial structures, including PACE, the PPA lease model, tax equity financing, and demand response programs, have been critical to the recent growth of renewables and energy efficiency. How are the next wave of financing models, including YieldCos and “Sustainability as a Service,” fueling tomorrow’s growth in this space?
4:25 PM
Automated Transit Networks (ATN) in Urban Infrastructure: Are We Ready? (P3)
Moderator:
Jim Kelly, Former Senior Vice President, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
Lin Midkiff, The Aerospace Corporation
Katherine Perez-Estolano, Board Member, California High-Speed Rail Authority
Gabe Klein, Special Venture Partner, Fontinalis Partners
Dr. Catherine Burke, Emerita Associate Professor, USC Price School
The notion of small, automated transportation networks in the built urban infrastructure is not a new one. They have long been seen as a potential answer to the first-mile and last-mile impediments to rapid transit adoption in places like LA. If realized, they may free up vast amounts of valuable land now used for parking, significantly reduce emissions, cut traffic congestion, eliminate many accidents and the injuries and deaths that sometimes go with them, and dramatically improve mobility and access for the elderly and handicapped. It all sounds so good, yet little has really been accomplished since the idea arose. Why have ATNs not seem broad adoption in the urban infrastructure? How has the technology and thinking around ATNs progressed? Are we ready now to move forward – and, if so, how? If not, what will it take to get there?
4:25 PM
(By Invitation Only) World Trade Center/LAEDC Panel: Global Mega Trends (P1)
Introduction:
Jeremy Davies, OBE, Senior Advisor, VerdeXchange
Bill Allen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation
Speakers:
Steve Olson, Co-chair, World Trade Committee of Los Angeles and former Executive Director, SelectUSA
Mike Quindazzi, Business Development Leader-Pacific Southwest, PwC
5:15 PM
Conference Reception
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
7:15 AM
Registration
8:00 AM
Speakers:
David Abel, Chairman, VerdeXchange
Gail Goldberg, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute-Los Angeles
David Waite, Chair, ULI-LA; Partner, Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP
Rick Cole, Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation, City of Los Angeles
8:10 AM
Morning Plenary: Government and Utilities As Collaborators for Sustainability (B1)
Moderator:
Renata Simril, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Publisher, Los Angeles Times
Speakers:
Pedro Pizarro, President, Southern California Edison
Robert Garcia, Mayor, City of Long Beach
Robyn Beavers, Senior Vice President, NRG Energy
Marcie Edwards, General Manager, LADWP
Government and utilities have a strangely symbiotic relationship, which some would call a “Love-Hate Relationship.” In the absence of competitive markets, utilities rely on legislators and regulators to set rules and rates that enable them to conduct business in a safe and reliable manner — and, for the investor-owned utilities — to compensate their investors adequately. Consumers rely on legislators and regulators to protect them from excessive costs and from high utility bills. Legislators and regulators count on utilities to implement policies that unregulated utilities would logically run from, like energy efficiency programs, steeply tiered rates, low-income assistance, and perhaps even renewable generation. If we hope to build a future of sustainability and genuine environmental stewardship, government and utilities must work together more effectively. However, as recent news has highlighted, that collaboration must also be fair and transparent. How do we build a collaborative relationship that is effective, durable beyond the terms of particular legislators or utility leaders, and fair to all? Do we need a tune-up, or a major overhaul? And who can and will take the lead to make it happen?
9:10 AM
(ULI-1) The Internet of Things (P1)
Moderator:
Alice Kimm, Architect, JFAK Architects
Speakers:
Ani Deodhar, Senior Product Manager/Program Lead, Sustainable Buildings, Autodesk Sustainability Solutions
Mandeep Khera, CEO, Daintree
Tsafrif Oranski, Vice President of US Business Development, Panoramic Power
New technologies are increasing the connectivity of our buildings and providing real-time feedback on energy and occupant use. Not only does this data provide new opportunities for modeling and forecasting to reduce costs, but also to improve the user's experience through improvements in lighting, air quality, and comfort. While defining standards and maintaining privacy pose potential issues, these new building systems will dramatically increase the operational efficiency of existing buildings and influence new building design.
9:10 AM
(ULI-2) Small Places, Big Changes (P3)
Moderator:
James Finlay, Founding Partner, Finlay Consulting Group
Speakers:
Ben Buchanan, Sr. Sales Manager, Daintree Networks Inc.
Sara Neff, VP Sustainability, Kilroy Realty Corp.
Sam Krasnow, VP Regulatory Affairs and Customer Engagement, FirstFuel
Commercial property under 25,000 SF represent 87.9 percent of the US building stock by number and 36 percent by square footage. Energy costs are a higher proportion of small building operating statements and cost savings could have an outsized cash flow impact. But larger buildings have received far more performance upgrade investment dollars. What performance enhancements working in larger buildings could translate to smaller commercial? What is holding back this opportunity to aid the small commercial owner’s bottom line? In this session experienced building efficiency professionals in operations and technology will review current building management option investment risk/rate of returns for building performance tracking and control systems, on-site power, and utility energy management.
9:10 AM
The Transformation of Ground Transportation & Streets: Trends Driving Tomorrow's Cities (B3)
Moderator:
Carter Rubin, Great Streets Program Manager, Mayor's Office, City of Los Angeles
Speakers:
Gail Goldberg, Executive Director, Urban Land Institute-Los Angeles
Seleta Reynolds, General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Transportation
Gabe Klein, Special Venture Partner, Fontinalis Partners
At no time in the last century has more changed in terms of transportation and public space innovation than the last 10 years, and many say the last 5. What does the rapid and increasing rate of change mean for government decision making? For development and developers? How do the public and private sectors partner to make our cities the best they can be? We will explore these topics and more.
9:10 AM
Commercialization of Clean Technology: Extracting Value from Universities and National Labs (P2)
Moderator:
David Fransen, Chair, Waterloo Innovation Summit
Speakers:
Nate Lewis, Scientific Director and Principal Investigator, Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Department of Energy and CalTech
Nandhu Nandhakumar, Senior Vice President of Advanced Technologies, LG Technology Center of America
Dean Wiberg, Manager, Commercial Technology Partnerships Office, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The collapse of oil prices, the shale oil & gas revolution, climate change deniers, financial pressures - a host of strategic economic & political forces seems arrayed against the successful implementation of clean technologies. Yet other credible sources suggest the global green economy is going to scale facilitated by apps and innovative technology coming to market. What is the reality? What are the technologies and sectors that are demonstrating the greatest potential- garnering the most research dollars and equity investment? Where has the potential already been realized? Most likely to be realized? This panel will assess the impact of these strategic and market forces on the possibility of clean technologies making it successfully to the marketplace.
10:10 AM
(ULI-3) Robo Parking (P1)
Moderator:
John Given, Principal, City Build Advisors
Speakers:
Randy Miller, President, Nautilus
Terry O'Day, Vice President, eVgo, NRG Energy
Mott Smith, Principal, Civic Enterprise
Parking has often been a thorn in the side of new development, especially in our land-constrained urban centers and fully developed suburbs. While mass transit has some amount of relief to congestion, it is apparent that individual vehicles will never disappear; how then will developers and planners confront the continuing challenge of parking? This panel will look at automated parking and how pro-formas can be adapted to a potentially new paradigm.
10:10 AM
(ULI-4) Alternative Energy Financing (P3)
Moderator:
David Hodgins, LA Better Buildings Challenge
Speakers:
Greg Simon, Director, Investments, SCI Energy, Inc.
Chris Robbins, Managing Director, CleanFund
Matt Golden, Board Member, Efficiency First
Traditionally, upgrades and repairs of a building’s Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems have been thought of as a necessary “cost” of repositioning an aging asset, but savvy investors are utilizing alternative financing to leverage energy and water efficiencies and drive down operating costs and make their buildings more competitive. Hear from our panel of leading property owners and energy efficiency investors how they are driving top-line growth through investments in efficient infrastructure.
10:10 AM
New Models for Distributed Generation of Water & Power (P2)
Moderator:
Lauren Faber, West Coast Political Director, Environmental Defense Fund
Speakers:
Susan Kennedy, CEO and Board Member, Advanced Microgrid Solutions
Robyn Beavers, Senior Vice President, NRG Energy
Jason Rondou, Electrical Engineer, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Distributed generation has taken hold in the energy industry, in particular for renewable technology such as solar PV. Can the same concepts be applied to water? With power and water systems increasingly interdependent, join us as we discuss how designing infrastructure with distributed production and business models in mind can strengthen those bonds but also presents significant challenges. The panel will also explore how close we are to having the right technology, proactive regulatory thinking, and suitable financing to push distributed networks forward as a viable alternative to centralized systems.
10:10 AM To 11:50 AM
2015 - New Battery Technologies: A Year of Progress (B3)
Moderator:
Jim Kelly, Former Senior Vice President, Southern California Edison
Speakers:
Erica He, Vice President, Strategic Business Development, Innovation Core SEI Inc.
Tomio Tamakoshi, General Manager of Design Department, NGK Insulators, LTD. NAS Battery Division
Atsushi Honzawa, Senior Engineer, Hitachi LTD., Energy Solutions Business Management Division
Akira Morise, Assistant General Manager, Transmission & Distribution Division, Toshiba International Corporation
Governments around the world, as well as high-tech investors, are funding many experiments and smart researchers as the race to develop “revolutionary” battery electrochemistry. However, for the most part, the battery-based devices on the market today seem to still feature variations on 20 year-old lithium-ion chemistry. A year ago, the Wall Street Journal recently summarized the “battery race” in these words: “Batteries of the future will come in all shapes and sizes and will store energy for a broad range of applications—from power grids to biomedical implants. But the demands on those batteries basically will remain unchanged: They must be cheap, long-lasting, safe and rechargeable over long periods... Batteries for power grids may hold the most promise for pushing research beyond lithium ion. Because they are stationary, energy density and weight matter less. One possibility is "flow" batteries, where dissolved chemical materials flow within the cell to create energy. Another is liquid metal batteries, which use molten metals to create energy. Another technology that has long interested researchers is using air as a catalyst, either with lithium or zinc. But zinc so far has defied efforts to get it to recharge enough times to satisfy consumer electronics needs...” So, the question for our panel of experts today is simple: How have we advanced battery technology over the last year – and where are we heading in the next few years? Are we really on the verge of a worldwide battery revolution?
10:10 AM
Carbon Markets and Fuels (A)
Moderator:
Joel Levin, Vice President, Business Development, Climate Action Reserve
Speakers:
Bill Peters, Deputy Editor, Argus Media
Jackie Ferlita, Manager, California Markets, ClimeCo
Nicholas Lumpkin, Director of Business Development, Clean Energy Renewable Fuels
Governor Brown recently announced an ambitious goal of achieving a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use by 2030. A number of initiatives are already underway to achieve this goal. In 2015, transportation fuels were added into the California cap-and-trade, for the first time anywhere in the world. This year the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) was also significantly revised and re-adopted by the Air Resources Board. At the same time, California’s existing fuel economy standards are continuing to drive improvements in fuel efficiency. Will these measures enable us to achieve the Governor’s goal? How will they affect the cost and availability of fuel in California through 2020? Will they move the needle on increasing the supply of alternative transportation fuels in California?
11:10 AM
(ULI-5) The Future of Hospitality (P1)
Moderator:
Brandon Feighner, VP, PKF Consulting
Speakers:
Todd Orlich, General Manager, Montage Beverly Hills
Mark Slymen, Corporate Director of Sustainability, Montage
Bruce Baltin, Senior Vice President, PKF Consulting
This panel will explore sustainability trends in the lodging industry as they relate to design and operations, using Montage (the company) as a case study and how this can be applied in the luxury market. Montage executives will go over best practices and lessons learned, and will discuss launch of new hotel brand, Pendry. PKF Consultants will discuss the trends in the lodging industry and sustainability as a core business strategy.
11:10 AM
(ULI-6) Cracking the Codes (P3)
Moderator:
John Coster, Green Business Officer, Skanska
Speakers:
Ted Bardacke, Deputy Director of Sustainability, Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti
Greg Collins, Building Performance Specialist, Syska Hennessey
Steve Glenn, Founder and CEO, LivingHomes
July 2014 saw the roll out of a more aggressive energy code in California. While a big step, it does not appear to be the last as city, state, and federal agencies strive for the environmental goals (higher renewables, NetZero, etc.) set in the 2000s. What other code steps are on the way? Is NetZero a possibility? How will the developments of 2020 or 2030 be different from today?
11:10 AM
Disruptive Technologies for the Built Environment -- Empowering the Customer (P2)
Moderator:
Evan Birenbaum, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Chai Energy
Speakers:
Joseph Jankosky, Director of "IntelligentHome" New Verticals, Time Warner Cable
Ohad Zeira, Director of Product Management and Growth Platforms, Belkin
Steve Clemons, Director of Business Development, Zonoff
Jerry Callahan, Chief Executive Officer, ISI Technologies (Heatworks), Founder of Blue Rhino Gas
Cole Hershkowitz, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Chai Energy
Industry "makers" come together to share their journey and a vision on the connected home. The panel discussion will dive deep into new technology developments that disrupt the status quo and empower customers to take back control of their home through home automation technologies, smart appliances and connected devices, and energy management systems. Who needs a smart thermostat when you can take control of your entire home?
11:10 AM
Roundtable/ Panel: Parks and Educational Facilities -- Models of Sustainability (A)
Moderator:
Rod Hamilton, Board Member, Claremont College Consortium
Speakers:
Michael Shull, General Manager, City of LA Department of Recreation and Parks
Tom Cain, Co-Founder and CEO, GSV Sustainable Partners
Joe Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Mark Hovatter, Chief Facilities Executive, LAUSD
Community centers make neighborhoods thrive. Under current mayoral mandates, these widely-used spaces in Los Angeles are looking for ways to become more sustainable. With new technological advancements, efficiency can be greatly improved, thus decreasing long-term economic costs, and water and electricity usage. What are the current best practices for park sustainability? What opportunities exist for business as municipal departments look for efficiency solutions? This panel will explore the technological and financial options to implement some of the best sustainable practices in schools, parks, and public recreation centers.
12:00 PM
Luncheon Plenary: The Potential & Resiliency of California's GreenTech / Innovation Economy (B1)
Introduction:
Wayne Ratkovich, President and CEO, The Ratkovich Company
Keynote Speaker:
Austin Beutner, Publisher and Chief Operating Officer, Los Angeles Times
Responders:
Bill Allen, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
Nancy Sutley, Chief Sustainability and Economic Development Officer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Cole Hershkowitz, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Chai Energy
1:45 PM
Finally Ready for Prime Time: Fuel Cell Technology for Vehicles and Stationary Power Plants (P1)
Moderator:
Mike Levin, Director of Government Affairs, FuelCell Energy
Speakers:
Shane Stephens Romero, President and Co-Founder, FirstElement Fuel
Tyson Eckerle, Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Project Manager, California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development
Matt Miyasato, Deputy Executive Officer for Science & Technology Advancement, South Coast Air Quality Management District
Skeptics have said that “hydrogen is the fuel of the future, and it always will be.” However, with new vehicles being launched, infrastructure being built, and fuel cell power plants on the rise, California is finally ramping up for a new hydrogen future. That said, key questions still remain. What is the best way to make hydrogen given its relative cost and environmental impact? How many consumers will buy and lease new fuel cell vehicles? How will we gauge success? Also, as California replaces power and voltage lost from San Onofre and several coastal gas-fired power plants, what role should fuel cells play?
1:45 PM
21st Century Water Technologies (P2)
Moderator:
William Funderburk, Partner, Castellón and Funderburk LLP; Vice President, LADWP Board of Commissioners
Speakers:
Varouj Abkian, Assistant Director, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Tommy Moala, Assistant General Manager, SFPUC
Marty Adams, Water Systems Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Jun Ichi Aoki, Deputy Vice President, Hitachi, LTD
Water has become an increasingly important issue in parts of the United States and in many areas of the world, as many users compete for limited supplies. The market is responding accordingly, as water technologies are the fastest growing clean technology sector, taking over solar power this year. Municipalities around the world are beginning to adopt water technologies to make more efficient use of freshwater, grey water, and wastewater. How does these new technologies work, and are they efficient? Where is there room for innovation in water technologies? What limitations and opportunities exist for municipal policy makers to adopt these new technologies? This panel will discuss these topics, among others.
1:45 PM
Global Cleantech Investment Trends: Brazil, Canada, China, and Japan (B3)
Moderator:
Steve Olson, Co-Chair, World Trade Center of Los Angeles and former Executive Director, SelectUSA
Speakers:
Stephen Cheung, Director of International Trade, Port of Los Angeles
Guanbin Zhang, Commercial Consul, Chinese Consulate - Los Angeles
Mauricio Andres Ribeiro, Deputy Secretary General, National Water Agency, Brazil
James Villeneuve, Consul General, Canadian Consulate - Los Angeles
Sachiko Yoshimura, Chief Executive Director, JETRO
Responder:
Juha Markkanen, Consul General, Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles County, the green technology sector has exponentially increased in the past five years, bringing significant support to industry growth, according to the LAEDC. Over $6.6 billion has been raised by Los Angeles County companies since the turn of the century, and over $3.8 billion of that total has been raised since 2012. In 2011, a record high of $279 billion was invested in clean-tech. Despite significant drops in global investments in 2012, in developing economies, clean tech investment rose by 19 percent. Has government taken a more active role by incentivizing cleantech investment through subsidies and tax breaks? Or have push and pull factors like Japan’s nuclear crisis and solar boom simply directed more investment towards cleantech? What is the outlook for business in Brazil, Canada, China, and Japan? What factors are influencing current clean tech investments, and what is the outlook within the next five and ten years?
1:45 PM
Energy Recovery and Sustainable Waste Management (P3)
Moderator:
Pat Proano, Assistant Deputy Director of Environmental Programs, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
Speakers:
Enrique Zaldivar, Director, City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Marie-Hélène Labrie, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications, Enerkem
Christian Felske, Technical Specialist in Environmental Research & Regulation, City of Edmonton
Julia Levin, Executive Director, BioEnergy Association of California
Recent developments in waste management have brought many jurisdictions closer to realizing a truly sustainable waste management system – one that maximizes recovery of materials currently sent to landfills in order to create new products, generate renewable energy, and even produce negative carbon fuel. New laws are further driving this shift in the waste management paradigm, creating both mandates and incentives to divert materials from the waste stream and place them back into the economic stream. With proper planning and the right structures, there are significant benefits to a more sustainable approach, including conservation of resources, reducing pollution, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, spurring economic development, and managing long-term costs. What do local solutions from around the world teach us about the challenges and promises of a sustainable waste management future? This new vision for the future is at the nexus of sustainability, climate change, renewable energy and waste management.
2:45 PM
Post 2020 AB32: Future of California Cap & Trade, RPS (P3)
Moderator:
Bob Sipchen, Senior Editor, California Section, Los Angeles Times
Speakers:
Felipe Fuentes, District 7 Councilmember, Los Angeles City Council
Lauren Faber, West Coast Political Director, Environmental Defense Fund
Tom Soto, Managing Director, TCW/Craton Equity Investors
California’s Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) — 33 percent renewable power by 2020 — was a landmark for the state and the nation. Much progress has been made toward achieving that goal. Looking beyond 2020, Governor Brown recently stated his intent to seek a 50 percent RPS by the year 2030. The utilities have argued against taking the RPS to 50 percent, citing a study by energy market research firm Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. (E3) that says utility rates could climb between 9 percent and 23 percent under a 50 percent RPS scenario, and that serious overgeneration and integration issues could result. Is a 50 percent RPS reasonably achievable by 2030 — or ever? What will it take to get there? And can we get there without dramatic increases in utility bills that will harm California’s competitiveness and the welfare of its citizens — especially the disadvantaged? Finally, can do it without adversely impacting the reliability of our electric supply and the safety of those that depend upon it?
2:45 PM
Water Infrastructure Resiliency -- Proven Technologies and Lessons Learned (P2)
Moderator:
Jack Baylis, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Baylis Group
Speakers:
Marty Adams, Water Systems Manager, LADWP
Jay Keating, President, Sekisui SPR Americas
Dr. Tom Walsh, President, Kanaflex/Walsh Consulting Services
Los Angeles had several leaking incidents throughout the summer, spilling more than 20 million gallons of water due to faulty pipes. Indeed, in the coming year the White House will announce a water infrastructure spending push of $600 billion over the next two decades. What are the current setbacks cities face in their pushes for upgrades? What are some of the newest proven technologies? How are municipalities adopting these technologies? Join us as we discuss which infrastructure technologies should be continued and which should be improved, and more.
2:45 PM
Natural Gas & P2G -- Decarbonizing the Pipeline (P1)
Moderator:
George Minter, Director of Policy and Environment, Southern California Gas Company
Speakers:
Stephen Jones, Managing Director, ITM Power Inc.
Snuller Price, Principal, Energy and Environmental Economics
Julia Levin, Executive Director, Bioenergy Association of California
The US is awash in low priced natural gas supply -- with a long term horizon. Nationally, natural gas utilization is cleaning the air and addressing climate change by displacing coal for electric generation in the Midwest, fuel oil for heating in the Northeast; and it’s fostering a manufacturing renaissance in the Southeast. But California is headed in a different direction. California has been looking to eliminate the use of natural gas. Environmental regulators have perceived natural gas as a dirty fossil fuel that needs to be phased out. “We've got to reduce, systematically, increasingly, the use of fossil fuel: That's oil, that's coal and, ultimately, that's natural gas.” (Governor Jerry Brown, March 31, 2014) Stakeholders are beginning to counter this vision with an approach to “Decarbonize the Pipeline” – developing low to zero carbon gas supplies – first utilizing biological resources – wastewater, landfills, agricultural waste, dairies, woodland waste; and then developing new Power to Gas technology – currently being rolled out in the EU nations as a way to deploy excess renewable power from the electric grid to produce hydrogen and synthetic methane for storage and later delivery through the gas grid.
3:30 PM
Closing VX2015 Reception