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.
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.
Building the Next Phase of California’s Hydrogen Market: FPH2’s CEO Jason Caudle
Hydrogen is not new to California. It has long served industrial users, refineries, and critical infrastructure. What is new, and what CEO Jason Caudle (First Public Hydrogen or FPH2) is focused on, is the deliberate expansion of hydrogen into new, scalable market segments, including: public transit, distributed energy, and stationary power.
Little Hoover Commission’s Virtual Hearing: Senator Josh Becker on Data Centers, Energy Grid Costs, and Who Pays?
Testifying before California’s Little Hoover Commission at its recent hearing on data centers and electricity policy, Sen. Josh Becker framed the rapid growth of data centers as a pivotal moment for California’s energy system—one that could either accelerate the clean-energy transition or impose new costs on households and small businesses.
Chair Pedro Nava on Utility Economics, Hidden Costs, and Protecting Californians from Rising Energy Burdens
Chair Nava of the Little Hoover Commission joins VX News to unpack the findings of the Little Hoover Commission’s review of California’s electricity rates—and now the emerging impacts of data centers and AI. Addressing how ratepayers are not simply paying for electricity itself, Chair Nava details how profit structures and related costs of maintaining, hardening, and expanding the grid continue to compound California’s affordability challenges.
Keeping Our Children in California: Hertzberg on the Middle-Class Homeownership Act
Former California Senate Majority Leader and Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg is championing the proposed Middle-Class Homeownership and Family Home Construction Act, a 2026 ballot initiative aimed at expanding housing opportunities for middle-income Californians.
NEDO Chairman Tamotsu Saito on Japan–California Collaboration
At VerdeXchange Conference 2025, Tamotsu Saito, Chairman of Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), underscored the critical role of international innovation partnerships in navigating an era of climate and geopolitical uncertainty.