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 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.
Building Water Resilience Through Data: Joone Kim-Lopez of Moulton Niguel
General Manager and CEO of Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD), Joone Kim-Lopez, brings a first responder’s mindset to water management. In this VX News interview, she shares how her experience as Pasadena’s first female Asian police officer shaped her leadership philosophy and drive to modernize public utilities. Kim-Lopez recounts her founding of the California Data Collaborative in working with respected water managers to enable data-informed policies and decision-making for California’s water future.
