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.
Assemblymember Harabedian: Legislative Responses to Eaton Fire’s Devastation
Assemblymember John Harabedian, whose district includes Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre, has spent much of his first term turning the Eaton Fire's hard lessons into legislation. Speaking with VX News after the close of session, Harabedian reflects on AB 1642, his newly signed bill setting first-in-the-nation standards for testing and clearing smoke-damaged homes, and on why the Assembly let SB 492 die rather than declare "mission accomplished." The Assemblymember also explains why he has changed his mind on undergrounding, and names the one question he says every candidate for insurance commissioner must answer.
Wildfire Survivor Network’s Joy Chen on: Recovery & Accountability
Twenty months after the Eaton Fire, a pickleball WhatsApp group from the Altadena Town & Country Club has become one of the more consequential forces in California utility and insurance policy. The Every Fire Survivor's Network (EFSN)now speaks for more than 10,000 Eaton and Palisades survivors, and its executive director, Joy Chen – a former Los Angeles deputy mayor and Fortune 500 executive recruiter – spent the summer in Sacramento arguing that California does not have a wildfire liability problem so much as a fire causation problem.
LADBS’ General Manager Osama Younan on Palisades Fire Rebuild: Speed, Safety & Self-Certification
Six months following the onset of the devastating Palisades and Eaton Wildfires in Los Angeles, TPR spoke with City of Los Angeles’ Department of Building & Safety General Manager Osama Younan about the department’s critical role in both emergency response and the long-term rebuilding efforts in the Palisades. Reflecting on interagency coordination and the importance of balancing speed with safety in restoring fire-impacted communities, Younan highlights the efforts to help residents and builders navigate the recovery process while ensuring code compliance including rapid deployment of inspection teams, creation of a dedicated rebuild permit review unit, and launch of the self-certification pilot program.
Coalition for Clean Air's Dr. Joe Lyou on Post-Fire Recovery Precautions & Federal Funding Uncertainty
Given the impacts of the Eaton and Palisades fires on the region's air quality, the recent withdrawal of California's Advanced Clean Fleet EPA waiver request, and the billions in Inflation Reduction Act EPA grant funding committed but still pending to the region for goods movement decarbonization, VX News checked in with Dr. Joe Lyou, President & CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air.
SCAG’s Kome Ajise on Local Government’s Role in Regional Resilience
VX News interviewed Kome Ajise, Executive Director of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), to elaborate on the challenges and priorities shaping regional planning in the aftermath of the Eaton & Palisades fires.
Renata Simril on Rebuilding Joy: The Vital Role of Parks and Playgrounds in Healing Los Angeles
President of the LA City Park & Recreation Commission Renata Simril addresses the emotional and mental health impacts of the Eaton & Palisades fires and the sanctuary offered by parks and playgrounds as Angelenos undertake the hard work of not just rebuilding physical infrastructure but healing from widespread trauma.