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.
Inside CAISO’s Expansion: President Mainzer on Markets, Governance, and the Western Grid
In this conversation with VX News, Elliot Mainzer, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), discusses efforts to build a more integrated Western power system through the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) and the forthcoming Extended Day-Ahead Market (EDAM). By leveraging regional connectivity and resource diversity, the model is improving reliability and lowering costs while preserving state-level control.
California’s Next Power Play - Transmission & Renewable Energy Markets
At the Los Angeles Business Council’s Sustainability Summit, former LA Times climate columnist Sammy Roth led a wide-ranging discussion with CAISO CEO Elliot Mainzer, SCE’s Mike Backstrom, and developers from AES, EDF, Southwestern Power Group, and Vineyard Offshore on how California will build the grid a clean economy requires.
EDF’s Michael Colvin on Clean Energy Strategy and the Future of the Western Grid
VX News interviewed Michael Colvin, Director of California Energy Program at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), to elaborate on the impetus behind the West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative and current status of SB 540, California’s latest legislative effort to implement a western regional day-ahead electricity market.
Jigar Shah & CEC’s Robert Chun on Battery Storage Deployment in California
VX News shares framing remarks from Jigar Shah, co-host of the Open Circuit podcast and former director of the USDOE Loan Programs Office, and Robert Chun, Chief of Staff to California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild, who elaborate on the necessity and advantages of battery storage for meeting the state’s energy and affordability needs as well as actions taken by the state and the CEC to ensure safe deployment of grid-scale battery technology.
Christine Harada on Deploying Public & Private Investment in Grid Infrastructure
In this exclusive interview with Christine Harada, former Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council Chair and current overseer of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Harada shares her experiences and knowledge gained from managing two critical and complex federal portfolios.
