VX News is the editorial voice of the annual VerdeXchange Conference, featuring in-depth interviews with industry leaders and policymakers driving innovation in clean energy, water, transportation, and climate policy.
California's Energy Future & Wildfire Risk: Edison International CEO Pedro Pizarro
VX News here features a conversation between Nat Bullard, co-founder of Halcyon and host of the Nameplate podcast, and Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, recorded for Nameplate's debut episode. Pizarro, who marked a decade as Edison International's chief executive on October 1, traces the company's 140-year arc from the Big Creek hydroelectric project to today's wires-focused Southern California Edison.
California Needs Water. El Niño Might Bring Too Much.
California enters what forecasters expect to be one of the strongest El Niños on record. The season will test a decade of state investment in stormwater capture and groundwater recharge, after Governor Newsom declared an early state of emergency. VX News here republishes The New York Times reporting on whether the state can bank a potential deluge underground rather than lose it to the Pacific, as recharge has fallen sharply since 2023 and groundwater storage remains 8.1 million acre-feet below 2019 levels. Read the article here.
California Legislature passes balcony solar bill
VX News here excerpts a Canary Media report by Alison F. Takemura on the Legislature's passage of the Plug and Play Solar Act (SB 868, Wiener), which would let Californians install plug-in solar kits up to 1,200 watts without the utility interconnection process required of rooftop arrays. The bill awaits Newsom's action by September 30. Takemura notes two constraints: no product has yet met the UL 3700 certification the bill requires, and a sunset restores utility sign-off in 2030. Find the original, here.
California’s future water supplies depend on the outcomes of four intertwined battles
With the Colorado River nearing a breaking point and the state weighing mandatory San Joaquin River curtailments, California faces a pivotal stretch in water policy. VX News here republishes CalMatters columnist Dan Walters' commentary on four intertwined fights over the Colorado River, Sites Reservoir, the Delta Conveyance tunnel and San Joaquin diversions, and how they will determine the state's water allocation for decades. See original article here.
California’s Electric Utilities Are Becoming Uninvestable
With Sacramento letting SB 492 stall and California's strict inverse condemnation doctrine still leaving utilities liable for grid-caused wildfires regardless of negligence, PG&E and Edison International face mounting pressure on their cost of capital just as the state needs major grid investment. VX News here republishes Bloomberg Opinion energy columnist Liam Denning's analysis of why California's electric utilities are becoming uninvestable, and of the reforms that could shift wildfire risk away from ratepayers and toward insurance markets.
VXNews Excerpt: California High-Speed Rail Authority and High Desert Corridor JPA Advance Statewide High-Speed Rail Connectivity
VX News shares the California High-Speed Rail Authority's July 20 announcement of a new Memorandum of Understanding with the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency. The signed MOU, a major step in advancing California’s vision for a fully connected, statewide electrified high-speed rail network, deepens coordination on environmental clearance, station integration, and design at Palmdale Station; and promises to fill a key gap in the statewide highspeed network. Beyond planning alignment, the agencies also commit to pursuing coordinated materials procurement and construction sequencing – a cost-containment posture that reflects the Authority's continued exposure to delivery economics.
California Lawmakers Urge CARB to Reconsider Cap-and-Invest Amendments
As part of our conference conversations, VX News shares a letter dated April 27, 2026, from California lawmakers urging the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to reconsider proposed amendments to the Cap-and-Invest program. The letter warns the changes could weaken emissions targets, inject new allowances into the market, and undermine both price signals and long-term climate investment—raising broader concerns about affordability, accountability, and the pace of the energy transition.
California’s Energy Future: A Conversation with Chair David Hochschild
As California confronts rising demand, wildfire-driven costs, and federal policy uncertainty, VX News spoke with California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild on the state’s entry into a new phase of energy deployment—defined by speed, scale, and resilience.
A Diversification Play for Lithium Valley: Rod Colwell on Geothermal Baseload, Critical Minerals & Data Power
In conversation with VX News, Chief Executive Officer Rod Colwell of Controlled Thermal Resources, traces the company’s evolution from a geothermal power developer into a vertically integrated energy and critical-minerals platform centered in California’s Imperial County.
CARB Chair Lauren Sanchez on the Future of California’s EV Incentives and Infrastructure
CARB Chair Lauren Sanchez details California’s proposed $200 million rebate strategy to backfill lost federal EV incentives and maintain market momentum. She addresses rising U.S. manufacturing competition, pressures in the ZEV credit market, and the legal stakes around California’s Clean Air Act waiver, while pointing to cap-and-invest funding, heavy-duty fleet electrification, and wildfire mitigation as key pillars of the state’s path forward.