VX2023 Program

16th Annual VerdeXchange VX2023 Marketmakers' Conference 

VX2023 Where Clean & Green Tech Marketmakers Meet to Accelerate & Scale Investments in the New Energy Economy

April 30-May 3, 2023

LOS ANGELES—For 16 years VerdeXchange has gathered accomplished clean, green, and blue tech entrepreneurs, energy & water companies, advanced vehicle manufacturers, software & hardware developers, public policymakers as well as: procurers, innovative financiers, and environmental stewards "under-one-roof"  to assess what's in-market, about to be in-market, and what's needed in market to propel the global, multi-trillion dollar verde economy. 

Join global market leaders at VerdeXchange VX2023 on April 30-May 3, 2023, at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, to examine how cities, states, and regions, in collaboration with public and private partners and community stakeholders, should and will leverage the $1.1 trillion in US infrastructure funding now flowing, after decades of neglect, to optimize economic recovery, maximize transformational climate infrastructure investments, and accelerate growth of the global clean energy economy.

 

VX 2023 Day 1 Program: Monday, May 1, 2023

7:00 AM

Registration and Breakfast

7:45 AM

VX2023 Welcome
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

8:10 AM

Morning Plenary I 

8:55 AM

Plenary II 

Decarbonization Through Electrification: Can the Grid Reliably Support it?

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel: 
David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Steve Powell, President & CEO, Southern California Edison
Gideon Kracov, Governor’s Appointee, CARB/South Coast AQMD

 

9:45 AM

Concurrent Panels

-ENERGY-

Getting Sh*t Done: Assessing & Permitting to Accelerate Project Delivery

Moderator:Tanya Peacock, Managing Director, EcoEngineers
Panel: 
Rick Beuttel, Vice President Hydrogen Business, Bloom Energy
Stephanie Macoritto, Electrical Engineer Associate, LADWP
Kimberlina Whettam, Principal, KW&A 

Enough talking! This is the decade of infrastructure. We have a strong policy foundation to support the energy transition. And now we need to get sh*t built! This panel will focus on building infrastructure for the energy transition, straight from experts with on-the-ground experience. Clean energy project developers and regulatory experts will explore what’s involved in taking a project from concept to commissioning—including project financing, permitting, and carbon life-cycle analysis modeling to access tax credits and other incentives.                                                                                                        

-WATER-

Managing Weather Whiplash: Adapting the West’s Water Systems to a New Normal

Moderator: Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow, Stanford Water in the West
Panel: 
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
Bill Swanson, Global Water Resources Leader, Stantec
Keith Lilley, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works

 

-ENERGY-

What is the Future of Natural Gas in California?

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel: 
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Nate Taylor, Director of Integrated Infrastructure Planning, SoCalGas
Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association 

California is moving away from natural gas on its journey to environmental sustainability. Some cities even mandate that new homes cannot rely on natural gas, instead encouraging induction cooking, electric appliances, etc. But there are consequences to abandoning our investment in natural gas. What about those who have invested in natural gas infrastructure and may now be left with stranded investments? What about struggling families who can't afford to upgrade their home appliances? Platitudes don’t solve these thorny problems, but our panelists are “in the crosshairs“ and can help us figure it out.

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Roundtable: Accelerating through Leverage: Project Deal Flow--by Invitation Only

Conveners:
Fiona Ma, Treasurer, State of California
Matt Horton, Director, Center for Regional Economics & California Center, Milken Institute/Accelerator for America
Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, USDOE Loan Programs Office

 

10:35 AM

-WATER-

VX2023 Water Charrette (10:35-1:45)—by invitation only

Conveners:
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
Mark Pestrella, Director, LA County Public Works
Martin Adams, General Manager & Chief Engineer, LADWP

-WATER-

Update: Will We Ever Update the Delta Water System's Plumbing?

Moderator: Michael George, Fmr. Delta Watermaster, CA State Water Resources Control Board. 
Jay Ziegler, Delta Watermaster, CA State Water Resources Control Board. 
Charley Wilson, Southern California Water Coalition

 

10:45 AM

Concurrent Panels

-ENERGY-

 A Just Energy Transition—Climate Equity & Environmental Justice

Moderator: Jessica Brown, Deputy City Attorney, Office of LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto
Panel: 
Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Kristen Torres Pawling, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Planning, Office of LA City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky
William Funderburk, Sr. Consultant, PermaCity Foundation
Heather Rosenberg, Associate Principal, Arup
 

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Transportation Investment on Steroids: Scaling Wisely & Sustainably

Moderator: Gary Gero, Chief of Staff, Office of LA City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky
Panel: 
Hilary Norton, Commissioner, California Transportation Commission
Randall Winston, Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure, Office of City of LA Mayor Karen Bass
Heather Repenning, Executive Officer of Sustainability Policy, LA Metro

On this panel, the public and elected officials charged with developing robust transportation infrastructure across Los Angeles and California will highlight their strategies to scale up—wisely and sustainably—by incentivizing mode shift and active transportation, implementing zero-emissions policies, and managing budgets to reflect sustainable transportation as a priority

 

-ENERGY-

An Energy Reserve for California: Next Generation Energy Efficiency

Moderator: Marcie Edwards, Fmr. General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Panel:
Dana Fischer, Director of Regulatory Strategy, Mitsubishi Electric US
Ross Zelen, Chief Committee Consultant, CA Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies 
Noah Newmark, CEO, 360 Power Group
Phil Raffi, Sr. Director Sustainability & Business Solutions, Peak Power
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission

California is going to experience increased energy demand as a result of climate change and continuing electrification. How will California respond to these new challenges? AB 205 created a Strategic Energy Resilience Reserve, granting the California Energy Commission new authority to procure energy resources to keep the lights on.  This panel will address how the state is implementing this reserve and what technology providers are doing to increase energy efficiency, implement demand response programs, and reduce strains on grid. 

 

11:40 AM

Concurrent Panels

-ENERGY-

Utility Undergrounding: Addressing the High Cost of Resilience

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel:
Hiroshi Tomita, Founder & Chairman of the Board, GEO SEARCH Co, Ltd.
Alex Nazarchuk, City Engineer, City of Santa Monica
Stephanie Clements, Assistant Director, CFO, StreetsLA

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Powering Next Gen Clean Trucks & Fleets

Moderator: Terry O'Day, COO, In-Charge Energy
Panel:
Nate Baguio, Senior VP of Commercial Development, The Lion Electric Company
Alex Rafiee, CEO & Co-Founder, Gemini Motor
Michael Lord, Executive Engineer, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs, Toyota Motor North America

California is blazing a path for the U.S. in setting goals and regulations that will lead to a dramatic reduction in both greenhouse gas- and smog-forming emissions, while catalyzing the biggest technology shift in the transportation sector since horses were swapped out for cars. We're on a fast path to zero-emission transportation—but it will require an all-hands-on-deck approach to meet that target. This panel will answer: What challenges and opportunities are available to ensure we are all rowing in the same direction towards a 100% ZE 2035? 

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

The Climate Transition: Leave No Worker Behind

Moderator: Panama Bartholomy, Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Panel:
Jon Switalski, Executive Director, Rebuild SoCal Partnership
Daniel Curtin, Director, California Conference of Carpenters
Rusty Hicks, Fmr. Director, LA County Federation of Labor/ Chair, California Democratic Party
Ruben Aronin, SVP, Better World Group

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Roundtable: Assessing the Current State of the California Environmental Quality Act

Moderator: Janna Sidley, Partner, Ichor Strategies/Little Hoover Commission
Panel:
Nicole Gordon, Partner, The Sohagi Law Group, PLC
Trevor Macenski, Sr. Principal, Environmental Solutions, Stantec
Doug Carstens,  Managing Partner, Carstens, Black & Minteer LLP

If you follow development in California, you’ve heard of CEQA, California's preeminent—and most controversial—environmental protection law. Using case studies, this panel will provide perspectives on how CEQA is used (or abused) and whether there is potential (or need) for reform. It will also explore the continuing evolution of CEQA over the years, including the newest standards and methodologies that projects must now adopt

 

12:25 PM

Introduction: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

Special Remarks by Tamotsu Saito, Chairman of Japan New Energy & Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

 

12:40 PM

Luncheon Plenary 

Moving Equitably from Policy Goals to Shovels in the Ground

Moderator: Marcie Edwards, Fmr. General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Panel: 
Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, US DOE-LPO
David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Mike Levin, US Congressman, 49th District, Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Caucus
Martin Adams, General Manager & Chief Engineer, LADWP

The Biden Administration’s Justice 40 initiative requires 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. With California’s energy transition well underway with broad public support, how is the state transitioning from ambitious goal setting to the “Age of Implementation?” This panel will discuss how utilities plan to keep rates affordable and policymakers are directing investments to propel the clean energy transition for communities most impacted by climate change.
 

1:50

2:35 PM

Concurrent Panels 

-ENERGY-

OffShore Wind: Challenges & Potential

Moderator: David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Panel:
Tyler Studds, CEO/Managing Director, Gold State Wind
Karen Boutros, Principal, CPP Investments
Sarah Friedman, Principal, Better World Group

In a major milestone for the wind power industry, California is—finally—committed to adding offshore wind to its energy supply mix. This panel addresses the opportunities and challenges of developing this new resource for California, with special attention to the critical importance of aligning with local stakeholders; concurrently developing upgraded port infrastructure; and collaborating with state and federal partners to deliver this much-needed clean power as expeditiously as possible.

 

-WATER-

How Do We Scale-up Water Recycling in Southern California- Getting to 100%

Moderator: Mark Gold, Director of Water Scarcity Solutions, NRDC
Panel:
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District
Rob Thompson, General Manager, OC San
Dr. Craig Bartels, VP Technology, Hydranautics, Nitto Group

 

-ENERGY-

The Quiet Challenge of EV Charging Infrastructure: How Do We Pay for it?

Moderator: Cecilia Estolano, CEO & Founder, Estolano Advisors/ CEO, Better World Group
Panel:
Hector De La Torre, Board Member, California Air Resources Board
Minh Le, General Manager, LA County ISD
Yamen Nanne, Manager, Power Distribution System Development, LADWP
Cory Bullis, Sr. Public Affairs Manager, FLO

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

ESG: The Future of Sustainable Investing

Moderator: Mike Wallace, Chief Decarbonization Officer, Persefoni
Panel:
Jasmine Jiang, Director of Investments, Sunstone Management Inc.
Lisa Woll, Advisor, USSIF
Mike Lombardo, Head of ESG Strategy, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors

Recent announcements from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) make it clear that ESG field is maturing. As Gensler has repeatedly stated “companies are reporting ESG information; investors are using ESG information. The SEC is going to standardize it.” In addition, new ESG standards, rules, and policies in the EU, UK, Japan and other jurisdictions are rapidly influencing the market's rapid uptick in ESG oriented investment strategies. Once the domain of the public pension funds, ESG investing has crossed over into private equity and real estate investments. This session will provide an overview of the last trends shaping the investment field, as well as take deep dives into the most influential regulatory developments, standards and guidelines that dictate how companies and investors measure, manage, and report on their ESG activities, their footprints, and their impacts.
 

3:35 PM

-ENERGY-

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Methane Mitigation

Moderator: Ross Zelen, Chief Committee Consultant, CA Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies 
Panel:
Penfield Tate III, Chief Environmental Justice Officer, Project Canary
Judy Lai Norling, Chief Operating Officer, Carbon Mapper
Aaron Van Pelt, Chief Commercial Officer, QLM Technology, Ltd. 
Ed Newton, Gas Engineering Programs Manager, SoCal Gas
Coby Skye, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works

Over a 20-year period, one ton of methane has a global warming potential that is 84 to 87 times greater than carbon dioxide. As the federal government looks to tackle methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, our landfills, and our agricultural system, how are state and regional governments leveraging this political opportunity to eliminate leaks and capture more of this profitable gas? This panel will focus on the important role that monitoring companies can play in reducing methane emissions and how they are forming partnerships with government leaders to generate useful data. 
 

-WATER-

The Food-Energy-Water Nexus: An Agriculture Renaissance for Resilience 

Speaker: AG Kawamura, Founder & Chair, Solutions from the Land

Moderator: Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow, Stanford Water in the West
Panel:
Nurit Katz, CSO, UCLA/LADWP Board of Commissioners
Larry Kopald, The Carbon Underground
Charley Wilson, Southern California Water Coalition

Don't leave food out of the climate change conversation. The challenges facing California's energy, water, and food systems are highly interconnected, and can't be solved from silos. This panel lays out a vision for an agricultural renaissance that would cross disciplines and borders to create sustainable, resilient systems for food security, health, and sustainability—and could even be achievable in the span of a lifetime.

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Adapting the San Pedro Bay Ports to Climate Change

Moderator: Janna Sidley, Fmr. General Counsel, Port of LA
Panel:
Hector De La Torre, Board Member, CARB
Artie Mandel, Port of LA
Noel Hacegaba, Deputy Executive Director, Port of LB

The San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan adopted by LA’s twin ports has resulted in a 90% reduction in diesel particulate emissions and a 60% increase in wildlife diversity. However, the latest EPA report confirms that California continues to fail to achieve standards required by the Clean Air Act. With transportation and goods movement contributing significantly to  air quality impacts in communities, how are the San Pedro Bay Ports—through which 40 percent of all imported goods in the US flow—adapting to demands to further reduce emissions while keeping the supply chain moving? This panel will consider the challenges and opportunities to implement new policies and zero-emissions technologies at the ports, while maintaining operations that support thriving local, state, and national economies.

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Next Generation Investment in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions

Moderator: Anil Tammineedi, Partner, Angeleno Group
Panel:
Tom Soto, Founder, Latimer Partners LLC
Allan Emkin, Managing Principal, Meketa Investment Group
Jake Levine, Chief Climate Officer, US International Development Finance Corporation
Karen Boutros, Principal, CPP Investments

 

4:30 PM

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Education Facilities & Sustainability: Aligning Decarbonization & Resiliency

Moderator: David Vela, Board of Trustees President, LACCD
Panel: 
Beth Tomlinson, Carbon and Climate Discipline Leader, Buildings, Stantec
Rueben Smith, Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Executive, LACCD 
Nick Melvoin, Board District 4, LAUSD

Many modern educational building programs are committed to robust sustainability goals. This panel will explore the essential ingredients to making sustainable schools a reality, including championship by governing boards and key staff; galvanizing political and community support; and keeping implementation on track.

 

-WATER-

What’s the ROI on Investments in Multi-Benefit Stormwater Capture & Reuse?

Moderator:John Withers, Chair, OC San Board of Directors
Panel:
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District
Ed Othmer, Vice President, North America Wet Weather Sector, Stantec
Keith Lilley, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works

In 2023, water agencies are increasingly recognizing the great potential to harvest, treat, and use stormwater and rainwater to address supply vulnerabilities, improve water quality, reduce flooding risk, and achieve other co-benefits in urban areas. This panel will address the challenges and opportunities are in California to implement successful stormwater capture and reuse projects while increasing the return on investment for water managers.  

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Investing in Cycling & Micromobility Infrastructure 

Moderator: Yuval Bar Zemer, Principal, Linear City Development LLC
Panel:
Naoki Hara, President, JFE Engineering America
Steve Burger, Deputy Director, Transportation, LA County Public Works
Aaron Paley, President, CARS

In order to meet emissions reduction goals in transportation, mode shift is a necessary component for reducing vehicle miles traveled. What role does infrastructure play in changing public behavior? With cycling providing significant opportunities to reduce automobile trips, this panel will address the main challenges and opportunities to implement infrastructure to prioritize cycling as a primary mode of mobility and identify the lowest-hanging fruits in the LA region that will add the most value for improving cycling infrastructure.
 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

WTC-LA/VX23 Consular Panel 
Consular Reception to Follow

 

VX 2023 Day 2 Program: Tuesday, May 2, 2023

7:15 AM

Registration and Breakfast

7:45 AM

VX2023 Welcome:

David Abel, Chairman, VerdeXchange
Introduction: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

Remarks:  Karen Bass, Mayor, City of LA
 

8:00 AM

Plenary 

The Intended Legacies of Public Investments in Transportation & Sports Infrastructure

Moderator: Renata Simril, President & CEO, LA84 Foundation
Panel:
James T. Butts, Mayor, City of Inglewood
Samantha Bricker, Chief Sustainability and Revenue Officer, Los Angeles World Airport
Ernesto Chaves, Director, Highway Program, LA Metro

Southern California is the sports and entertainment capital of the world. Between now and the 2028 Olympics, there will be at least 8 high-profile sporting events in Los Angeles—each of which will drive significant economic activity. This panel will unpack the opportunities created by the sports economy to build a stronger, more equitable, and more connected Los Angeles.

 

9:10 AM

Moderator: Rick Cole, Deputy City Controller, Office of LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia
Panel:
James T. Butts, Mayor, City of Inglewood
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief Innovation Officer, LA Metro
Connie Llanos, Interim General Manager, LADOT

Global metropolises are attempting to fold new technologies like autonomous vehicles, e-bikes, and shared scooters into their urban (often last mile) mobility planning. How successful have public agencies been in aligning public works and safety responsibilities with new on-demand and digital technologies to create smarter and more sustainable cities. How might new last-mile and micro-mobility providers enhance rather than undermine public transit? How can conflicts between private tech disruptors and public agencies better address data-sharing and privacy issues? This expert panel brings together actors and doers from public and private-sector industries who hope to bring an efficient, sustainable, and multimodal future to urban life.

 

-ENERGY-

Is Residential Solar Dead in California? Opportunities & Promise of Solar + Storage for Underserved Communities

Moderator: Eliot Abel, Co-Owner / Senior Director of Business Development, Namaste Solar
Panel:
Derek Chernow, Western US Regional Director, Coalition for Community Solar Access
Chris Worley, Director, Public Policy, Sunrun
Arash Saidi, Power Engineering Manager of Distributed Resources Development & Programs, LADWP

Recent policy changes have resulted in a substantial reduction in the value proposition for home solar energy. This panel will unpack how market demand has changed; strategies to unlock the community solar market; and efforts to expand access to solar power to low-income households, all to keep California on track to its climate goals.

 

-WASTE & RECYCLING-

Circular Economy: Market & Policy Solutions

Moderator: Coby Skye, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works
Panel:
Rachel Machi Wagoner, Director, CalRecycle
John Shegerian, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, ERI 
Yoshimi Yamamoto, Manager, Resonac Corporation

Communities everywhere are demanding new infrastructure to protect the environment, boost economies, and protect human health. This panel will focus on the circular economy, which aims to protect the environment and boost economies using innovative technologies and sound best practices to reuse materials that were already consumed to save the world’s resources, cuts waste and reduce greenhouse emissions. A panel of experts will discuss market policies and technical solutions to replace California’s traditional linear economies in extracting raw materials and generating waste with a functional circular economy.

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Re-Envisioning Parks: The Rise of Play Equity

Moderator: Renata Simril, President & CEO, LA84/LA City Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners
Panel:
Joe Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Aaron Paley, President, CARS
Nick Melvoin, Board District 4, LAUSD
Matthew Rudnick, Executive Office and Assistant General Manager, LA City Dept. of Recreation & Parks 

 

9:10 AM 

-H2 SUPERTRACK -

VerdeXchange H2 Super Track (9:10am to 4:15pm)

9:10 am – 10:00 am:
Hydrogen’s Promise: Advancing its Role in a Total Energy System 
Moderator: Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now
Panel:
Tak Yokoo, Founder & Chair, Japan Hydrogen Forum
Eric Guter, VP Hydrogen for Mobility Solutions,  Air Products
Angelina Galiteva, Board Member, CAISO
Daisuke Yanagisawa, Mitsui & Co.(USA) Inc.  

10:00 am – 10:30am:
H2 Innovations: Ports & Goods Movement
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric 
Panel:
Toru Sugiura, Sr. Manager, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Toyota Tsusho America Inc.
Troy Collard, General Manager Sales, PACECO Corp. 
Patrick Jacob, Director, Rolling Stock Business Development, Alstom
 

10:30 am – 11:15 am:
Going All-In: US & Global Hydrogen Strategy
Moderator: Tanya Peacock, Managing Director, EcoEngineers
Panel:
Eiji Ohira, Director General, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Group Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, USDOE Loan Programs Office
Dave Edwards, Director and Advocate for Hydrogen Energy, Air Liquide
Justin Ward, General Manager, Fuel Cell Development, Toyota

11:15am-12:00noon:
H2 Innovations: Production
Moderator: Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now
Panel:
Mariam Awara, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Pulsenics
Tomoyuki Koide, Deputy General Manager of Marketing Dept. Tsubame BHB Co, Ltd.
Jag Singh, Director of Business Development, Golu Hydrogen
Yoshimi Yamamoto, Manager, Resonac Corporation
Daniel Charette, Chief Operating Officer, CHARBONE, Hydrogen Corporation

(continued after Luncheon plenaries)
 

10:10 AM

How Might Electrification, Autonomous Vehicles, & AI Reshape Urban Mobility

Moderator: Mary Nichols, Co-Chair, Commission on the Future of Mobility
Panel:
Blair Schlecter, Director of Business Development & Programming, Stantec GenAV
Ram Ramaseshan, SVP and Geo Head - Americas, Tata Elxsi
William Rouse, General Manager, Yellow Cab of Los Angeles
 

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Is High Speed Rail Still a Mirage in the Desert: What's New?

Moderator: Arthur Sohikian, Executive Director, High Desert Corridor JPA
Panel:
Ben Porritt, SVP Corporate Affairs, Brightline West
Patrick Jacob, Director, Rolling Stock Business Development, Alstom

The promise of high-speed rail for California may feel like a mirage, but the reality is that exciting projects are underway. This panel showcases the status of plans connecting Southern California to Las Vegas by Brightline West; the High Desert Corridor project connecting the Antelope Valley to the San Bernardino Valley; and the project that will connect them all. Hear from the public and private sector actors working together to bring the U.S. transportation network up to date with those in Europe and Asia.

 

-WASTE & RECYLING-

E-Waste Technologies & Addressing the Plastic Crisis

Moderator: Robert Hertzberg, Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Project
Panel:
John Shegerian, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, ERI 
Shinya Shimizu, CEO, Elephantech
Brad Haydel, Associate Director, Office of Sustainability, USC

 

- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-

Housing Affordability: Rethinking the Urban Planning Paradigm

Moderator: Shmel Graham, Counsel, Ashurst
Panel:
Gail Goldberg, MWD Board/Fmr. Planning Director, City of Los Angeles, City of San Diego
Ben Stapleton, Executive Director, USGBC-LA
Brittany Moffett, Sr. Resilience Engineer, Arup
Larry Kosmont, Chairman & CEO, Kosmont Companies

Urban planning in the 21st century faces tremendous challenges. The world's population is growing, especially in our cities, and this rapid urbanization is putting a strain on city resources and infrastructure. Climate change is already having a significant impact on cities, and this is only going to get worse in the future. Cities are particularly vulnerable to heat waves, flooding, and other extreme weather events. Do we need new approaches to planning for our future? Innovations including digital twin technology have the potential to help cities address these challenges. In the context of urban planning, a digital twin could be used to model a city's infrastructure, its population, and its environment. How can these innovations and new approaches help us make better decisions about how to plan for our future?

 

11:10 AM

Adapting the Built Environment for a Decarbonized Future

Moderator: Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Panel: 
Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Windie Yancy, Director, Power New Business and Electrification, LADWP
Beth Tomlinson, Carbon and Climate Discipline Leader, Buildings, Stantec
Heather Rosenberg, Associate Principal, Arup

On average, a city greenhouse gas emission is two-thirds transportation and one-third buildings. Some cities are taking steps to ban or heavily restricting gas hookups for new construction. In California, decarbonization has recently began to be written in the California Building Code. It is predicted that buildings built between 2023 and 2028 will be all electric. What is the outlook of the 2023-2026 code cycle for decarbonization? How will companies who rely on the continued expansion and maintenance of a gas distribution respond to decarbonization?

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

EV Adoption—Moore’s Law?

Moderator: Felicia Williams, Vice Mayor, City of Pasadena
Panel:
Alex Haring, Senior Associate, Advanced Transport Bloomberg NEF
David Jacot, Director of Efficiency Solutions, LADWP
Ryan Harty, Senior Manager, Energy Solution Business Division, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. 
Lauren Faber O'Connor, Former Chief Sustainability Officer, City of LA

California is mandated by executive order to ensure that 100% of vehicles sold in the state are zero-emission by 2035. To make that target, we'll need to dramatically accelerate the rate of electric vehicle adoption. But how? On this panel, learn what the historic trends in EV adoption can tell us about its future outlook; the infrastructure needs of mass EV adoption and the funding available to meet them; how to engage hard-to-reach populations; and how the public and private sector are working together to rev up the EV future.  

 

-BUILT ENVIRONMENT-

How Planning with Digital Twins Will Change Cities & The World

Moderator: Thomas Aujero Small, President & CEO, Culver City Forward
Panel: 
Myrna Bittner, CEO & Co-Founder, RunWithIt Synthetics
Aurelia Setton, Chief Business Officer, Exodigo
Rob Lempert, Director, RAND Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition
Philip Allsopp, CEO, Orbis Dynamics

 

12:00 PM

Game Changers: Meet the Innovators

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel:
Gail Goldberg, MWD Board/Fmr. Planning Director, City of Los Angeles, City of San Diego
Martin Muoto, Founder & CEO, SoLa Impact
Hiroshi Tomita, Founder & Chairman of the Board, GEO SEARCH Co, Ltd.

 

1:20 PM

Post-Luncheon Plenary 

Hydrogen Cities: It's Getting Real—Meeting the Energy Transition Moment with Three Hydrogen City Mayors

Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, Enso Infrastructure, LLC
Panel:
Eiko Yoshida, Mayor, Namie Town, Japan
Mitch Roth, Mayor, County of Hawai’i
R. Rex Parris, Mayor, City of Lancaster, CA

 

2:00 PM

Concurrent Panels

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Multimodal & Active Transportation: A Vision for the Future of LA—Cities Built for People are Good for Business

Moderator: Michael Schneider, Founder & CEO, Streets for All
Panel:
Yuval Bar Zemer, Principal, Linear City Development LLC
Gleam Davis, Mayor, City of Santa Monica
Lava Sunder, Fmr. Founding General Manager, Culdesac Tempe
Natalie Freidberg, President, Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce

Across North America, over the last 100 years, most cities have been redesigned around cars. Our sidewalks have been narrowed, our streets have been widened, our historic buildings have been knocked down to build parking structures, and bike lanes are few and far between. This has mostly been done under the guise that free parking and easy car access is needed for businesses to thrive. Yet, in cities that have deprioritized the car, and made their streets more human scale, with wide sidewalks, trees, bike lanes, and even full pedestrianization, business has boomed.

 

-ENERGY-

Neighborhoods as Energy Resiliency Hubs

Moderator: Rick Cole, Deputy City Controller, Office of LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia
Panel:
Neil Navin, Chief Clean Fuels Officer, SoCal Gas
Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Steven Bingler, CEO, Concordia
Jacki Bacharach, Executive Director, South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Responder: Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission

This panel begins with a bold proposition: California's current model of decarbonizing buildings is wildly successful—and completely wrong. Join to learn the benefits of a new approach to managing the transition, designed to increase scale, quality, and affordability. Moreover, panelists will make the case for community-centered planning by sharing case studies that emphasize the intersection among policy, participatory programming, and practice.

 

-INNOVATION-

India’s Climate Tech Leadership on Scaling Collaborations with California

Moderator: Gunjan Bagla, CEO, Amritt, Inc.
Panel:
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Aditya Ramji, India Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Research Centre Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS), University of California
Jessica Lall, Managing Director, CBRE
 

-H2 SUPERTRACK -

VerdeXchange H2 Super Track (Continued)

2:00 pm – 2:30 pm:
Accelerating Goals: Zeroing Out Carbon Emissions 

Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, Enso Infrastructure, LLC

Panel:
Matt Gregori, Technology Development Manager, SoCal Gas
Go Tejima, Technical Advisor, Toyota Research Institute
 

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm:
Accelerating Infrastructure: Hydrogen Hubs

Moderator: Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now

Panel:
Angelina Galiteva, Board Member, CAISO
Jason Caudle, City Manager, City of Lancaster
Riley Saito, Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director, County of Hawai'i

 

2:55 PM

Affordable Housing: The Vienna Model

Moderator:Alex Fisch, Deputy Attorney General, CA Department of Justice
Panel:
Gerhard Mayer, Principal Architect,  GGLO Architects
Helmi Hisserich, Director of Global Housing Solutions, Global Policy Leadership Academy, 
Stephanie Klasky Gamer, President & CEO, LA Family Housing
Responder: Jason Ward, Associate Director,  RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness

The city of Vienna owns and manages about 60% of the city's housing stock, which provides a stable source of affordable housing. How does government play a leading role in providing affordable housing in Vienna? The Vienna model is a public-private partnership that has been very successful in providing affordable housing to people of all income levels. Affordable housing in Vienna is in desirable areas, ensuring that residents have access to good schools, jobs, and other amenities. Could this model help build affordable housing on a large scale in California? Could it demonstrate that it is possible to provide affordable housing located in desirable areas?

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Elders Forum: Who Will Use Government to Do What Needs to be Done: Has California Lost its Edge?
Moderator: Bob Wieckowski, Fmr. CA State Senator
Panel:
Mary Nichols, Fmr. Chair, California Air Resources Board
Steve Peace, Fmr. CA Legislator