David Abel Chair
VerdeXchange
April 6 - April 9 2025
Dear VX2025 Conference Participants,
This is the 18th year of VerdeXchange. The evidence is indisputable both domestically and globally that the transition to renewables and electrification, driven by economics, is Happening! Indeed, the advantages of technologies keep growing. In California, where VerdeXchange hosts VX – and really for all of us in the world – it is also a time of unprecedented uncertainty and transition.
The recent devastating fires in dense neighborhoods in Los Angeles, supercharged by climate-driven winds, rocked our sense of urban safety. The aftermath and clean-up –going on in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Malibu as we speak -- bring an intense focus on permitting, and force us into discussions about resilience – from undergrounding transmission lines to new concepts of grid design. How do we balance the risks and costs among ratepayers, taxpayers, shareholders, and consumers?
Join the conversation #VX2025
The last 75 days of the new administration in Washington have rocked our sense of cooperative federalism and long-established beliefs in checks and balances. The promise and certainty in continued federal investment in clean energy have evaporated almost overnight. To be sure, the multi-trillion dollar ‘verde’ market and its global momentum will continue: 90 percent of new electricity generation is renewable. But we now need to reconsider the role of federal (and continued state) funding for solar, wind, clean ports, hydrogen, electric transportation and, of course, investment in promising technologies to bring them across the chasm to market viability.
View this program online at verdexchange.org
VX2025 offers a rare opportunity to meet experts in multiple fields others who share your concerns. Here you will meet clean tech entrepreneurs, energy & water companies, advanced vehicle manufacturers, software & hardware developers, and public policymakers. You will also find representatives from California, other states, and around the world including Japan, Canada, Germany and Finland who are eager to discuss insights and solutions at this unprecedented moment of transition.
Take advantage of our many plenary and breakout sessions, and our curated tours. We have only 72 hours together in this instant community to share ideas, concerns, solutions and most of all, a common commitment. Together we can learn from one another, sharpen our focus, grasp new opportunities, and continue to build a clean-energy market built on a shared vision for a better future.
Welcome to VerdeXchange!
DAVID ABEL
Monday Afternoon Sessions—April 7, 2025
VerdeXchange Conference
12:30 PM
VX 2025 Luncheon Served (BH)
INTRODUCTION: Stephen Cheung, LAEDC
SPECIAL REMARKS: Tamotsu Saito, NEDO
12:45 PM
Luncheon Plenary: The Aftermath: How Do We REALLY Build Back Better in SoCal?
MODERATOR: Jim Kelly, S&C Electric
PANEL: Janisse Quiñones, LADWP; David Buczkowski, SoCal Gas; Caroline Choi , SoCal Edison
11:45 AM - 1:30 PM
VX2025 Water Charrette (Cont.)
1:25 PM
Luncheon Keynote:
Introduction:John Hanula, Innovation Leader, Stantec
Susan Kennedy, Chairman & CEO, Cadiz Inc.
1:40 PM
Post-Luncheon Plenary: How Resilient and Prepared Are
MODERATOR: Ted Bardacke, Clean Power Alliance
PANEL: Mark Pestrella, LACDPW, Zac Swank, Office of Sustainability, Climate Action & Resiliency,
The Future of the Western Grid (R)
MODERATOR:
Earl Blumenauer, Fmr. U.S. House of Reps.
PANEL:
Michael Colvin, EDF
Darcie Houck, CPUC
Siva Gunda, CEC
3:30 PM4:20 PM
2:30 PM3:25 PM 4:25 PM5:15 PM
Meeting Energy Demand: Data Centers, Electrification, & The Energy Transition (R)
MODERATOR: Sara Neff, Sustainability Cloud Operations + Innovation, Microsoft PANEL: Dan Hopper, SCE Armando Infanzon , SoCal Gas
Rebuilding LA’s Water & Power Systems for Tomorrow (Br)
MODERATOR: Nurit Katz , UCLA Sustainability PANEL: Greg Pierce, UCLA
Martin Adams , BRC Blue Ribbon Commission
Jacob Lipa, Lipa Consulting Group Responder: Luis Guttierez, Office of LA Mayor Karen Bass
How Are Utilities Adapting to AI? (C)
MODERATOR: Victoria Harmon, V&L Advisors
PANEL: Robert Piascik, NYPA
Myrna Bittner, Runwithit
Evan Birenbaum, EPRI
Brian Goldman, Policy Pulse
Dr. Lalitha Krishnamoorthy, Stantec
New Pathways to Jobs & Workforce Training for the Green Economy (C)
MODERATOR: Bonnie Lowenthal, POLB PANEL: Eliot Washor, Big-Picture Learning
Robin Kramer, The Smidt Foundation
Simon Bluestone, Stantec Garrett Rapsilber, HR&A Advisors
EV MARKET MOMENTUM: Reports of the Demise of EVs Greatly Exaggerated (H)
MODERATOR: Colleen Quinn, e-Mobility Advisors
PANEL: Eli Lipmen, MoveLA Ruben Aronin, Better World Group
Tesi Bravo, CALSTART Rosa Davies, Veloz
New Nuclear: Is it real? Is it ready? (C)
MODERATOR: Jim Kelly, S&C Electric
PANEL: Jag Singh, Stantec
Anssi Paalanen, Finland National Emergency Supply Agency
Arnab Pal, Deploy Action
California Offshore Wind: A Status Report (H)
MODERATOR: John Keisler, Sunstone Economic Development
PANEL:
Suzanne Plezia, POLB
Ross Zelen, CA Senate Committee on Climate Change Policies
Michael Colvin, EDF
Future of ZEVs Part 2: How Can ZEV Infrastructure Advance in a More Hostile World? (R)
MODERATOR: Colleen Quinn, e-Mobility Advisors
PANEL:
Laura Lannaccone, LA County ISD
Analy Castillo, Stantec
David Jacot, LADWP
Silke Kirchner, Ampure
Don’t Call it ESG—Call it
National Security & Resilience (H)
MODERATOR: Ross Zelen, CA Senate Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies.
P ANEL:
Mike Wallace, Persefoni Paola Bernazzani, ESG Advisory Services, Stantec Colin Connors, ASUENE USA
Pitch Session: LAEDC/ WTC-LA International Cleantech Companies (WCT)
MODERATOR: Stephen Cheung, LAEDC
PITCHES: Masa Ando, Eco-Pork Daniel Chang, Cool Innovation
WTC-LA Consular Panel: Supply Chains Going Forward & Response to Pitch Session (WCT)
MODERATOR: Stephen Cheung, President/CEO, LAEDC
PANEL: Japan, Finland, Germany, Gowling
RECEPTION TO FOLLOW
Tuesday Morning Sessions—April 8, 2025 VerdeXchange Conference
7:45 AM VX2025 Welcome (BH)
David Abel , Chairman, VerdeXchange
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation
Opening Remarks : Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, LA County Board of Supervisors
8:15 AM
Morning Plenary: California’s Ambitious Environmental Vision and Agenda (BH)
Wade Crowfoot, Secretary, California Natural Resources Agency
INTRODUCTION: Robert Hertzberg, Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Partnership
RESPONDERS: Andrea Ambriz, General Manager of Exposition Park
Affordable Housing After the Fires (H)
MODERATOR:
Rick Cole, Pasadena Councilmember and LA Deputy Controller
PANEL:
Charles Loveman , Heritage Housing Partners
Steve Glenn, Plant Prefab
Planning Opportunities for Olympic Legacies: Parks, Culture, & Placemaking (C)
MODERATOR:
Ava Bromberg, Creative Urban Solutions
PANEL:
Andrea Ambriz, Exposition Park
Mia Lehrer, Studio MLA
Heather Repenning, LA Metro
Aaron Paley, CicLAvia and CARS
Accelerating & Managing Capital Project Delivery (Ports-Air/Freight/Sea) (R)
MODERATOR:
Samantha Bricker, Bricker Strategic Solutions
PANEL:
Bill McGowan , Granite Construction
Gideon Kracov, ADR Services, Inc.
Monica Benavides , CALTRANS
Kit Cole , Kit Cole Consulting Davina Hurt, Pacific Environment
Envisioning a Thriving Palisades in 2035: How Do We Get There?
By-Invitation Only (BH)
Robert Lempert, Rand
Thomas Aujero Small, Culver City Forward
Jacob Lipa, Lipa Consulting
Marty Borko, (Ret.) ULILA
MODERATOR: Tyson Eckerle, GO-Biz
PANEL: Tanya Peacock , EcoEngineers; Daishu Hara , NEDO; Shekhar Chitnis, HyZero; Pierre Gonthier, SAF International
Building Decarbonization for Resilience (H)
MODERATOR: Andrew McAllister, CEC
PANEL:
Panama Bartholomy, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Lujuana Medina , LA County ISD
Zac Swank, Boulder County, CO Office of Sustainability
11:10 AM11:50 PM
Financing Building
Decarbonization: A Status Report (H)
MODERATOR:
Panama Bartholomy, Building Decarbonization Coalition
PANEL:
Sara Neff, Cloud Operations + Innovation, Microsoft
Ben Stapleton, USGBC-CA
Julia Pyper, Goodleap
Sustainability & Circular Economy in Practice (C)
MODERATOR:
Coby Skye , Blue Skye Environmental Consulting
PANEL:
Scott Kraynak, Sierra Energy
Mick Dalrymple, USC
Okko-Pekka Salmimies, Consul General of Finland to Los Angeles
Robert Hertzberg , Mission Possible Partnership
Energy Storage: A Market Update (C)
MODERATOR: Jim Kelly, S&C Electric
PANEL:
Gurmesh Sidhu , Moment
Energy
Garret Lehman , Aypa Power
Michael Colvin, EDF
Carbon Negative, Climate Positive: The Future of Carbon Removal (R)
MODERATOR: Reagan Cerci, Boundless Impact
PANEL:
Phil Walsh, Arup
Edward Sanders, Equatic Masaaki Kawai, NGK
10:00 AM
Public & Private Partnerships to Advance Hydrogen Initiatives
MODERATOR: Lex Heslin, ENSO Infrastructure LLC
PANEL: Jason Caudle, First Public H2, City of Lancaster; Nobuhiro Shiraishi, Energia; Akira Narui, Vice Mayor, Town of Namie (Japan); Tracy Leslie, EPRI
Ramifications of Governor’s Suspension of CEQA & Coastal Act Regulations to Speed Wildfire Recovery (R)
MODERATOR: Darrell Steinberg, Fmr. Mayor of Sacramento
PANEL:
Dan Rosenfeld, Community Partners
Jacob Lipa , Lipa Consulting Group
Joseph Dieguez, Kosmont Companies
11:00
710 Corridor: The Hydrogen Pitch
MODERATOR: Terry Tamminen, AltaSea
PANEL: Justin Ward , Toyota; Danny Gamboa, EJ Community Member; Jack Brouwer, Clean Energy Institute, UC Irvine; Michael Galvin, POLA; Michael Cano, LA Metro
Tuesday Afternoon Sessions—April 8, 2025
VerdeXchange Conference
12:00 PM
Luncheon Plenary: Renewable Energy & Resilience
INTRODUCTION: Bob Hertzberg , Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Partnership and CA Senate Majority Leader Emeritus
PANEL: Andrew McAllister, California Energy Commission; Yoshihito Ozawa , Fukushima University; Yuri Freedman, SoCalGas
1:45 PM
Post Luncheon Plenary: Game Changers: Meet the Market Makers (BH)
MODERATOR: Jim Kelly, S&C Electric
PANEL: Lauren Faber O’Connor, Lowercarbon Capital; Radha Mistry, Arup
2:40 PM3:30PM
Investment in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions (H)
MODERATOR:
Kathleen Brown, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
PANEL:
Danny Jaffe, Angeleno Group
Lauren Faber O’Connor, Lowercarbon Capital
Diego Soto Garcia, ESG Advisory Services, Stantec
Tom Soto, Latimer Partners, LLC
Julia Pyper, GoodLeap
Rebuilding the Village: Palisades Commercial District (R)
MODERATOR:
Thomas Aujero Small, Culver City Forward
PANEL:
Brenda Levin, Levin & Associates
Laurie Ochoa, LA Times
Neal Payton, Torti Gallas + Partners
3:35 PM4:15 PM
The Los Angeles Polycrisis (R)
MODERATOR:
Rick Cole, Pasadena City Council, LA Deputy City Controller
PANEL:
Jonathon Parfrey, Climate Resolve
Dan Mapes , VERSES AI Fernando Guerra*, LMU
VX H2 Super Track Continued (WCT)
2:40 PM
Hydrogen Hub Update
MODERATOR: Brian Goldstein, EIN
PANEL: Tyson Eckerle, GoBiz; Hack Heyward*, Houston; Paul Nelson , Saoradh Enterprise Partners, Angelina Galiteva; ARCHES, Tracy Leslie, EPRI
3:30PM
CA Clean Bus Strategy
MODERATOR: Jimmy Chen, SECA
PANEL: Bill Elrick , Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership; Patrick Fiedler, Fiedler Group; J aimie Levin, CTE; Jonathan Beaulieu, Letenda
3:50 PM
MONDAY, APRIL 7
10:00 AM
AM
AM 2:30 PM 3:30 PM 3:30 PM 4:25 PM 4:25 PM
Utility Undergrounding: What are the facts? Alternatives?
Fossil Fuels & the Future of the Energy Transition
Meeting Load Growth with Dispatchable DERs: Faster, Cheaper, More Resilient
West-Wide Governance Pathways Initiative
How Are Utilities Adapting to AI
Meeting Energy Demand: Data Centers, Electrification, & The Energy Transition
New Nuclear: Is it real? Is it ready?
California’s Off Shore Wind - A Status Report
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
11:10 AM
2:40 PM
Energy Storage: A Market Update
Investment in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions
AM 9:10 AM 9:10 AM 10:10 AM 11:10 AM 2:40 PM
MONDAY, APRIL 7
Resilience Hubs, Green Infrastructure & Conservation
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Affordable Housing After the Fires
Planning Opportunities for Olympic Legacies: Parks, Culture, & Placemaking
Building Decarbonization for Resilience
Financing Building Decarbonization: A Status Report
Rebuilding the Village: Palisades Commercial District
Rebuilding LA’s Water & Power Systems for Tomorrow 10:00 AM 10:50 AM 11:45 AM 2:30 PM MONDAY, APRIL 7
Water Quality/Quantity After the Fires
California Solar Canal Initiative Aquagrid Case Study
VX2025 Water Charrette (By Invitation Only)
MONDAY, APRIL 7
Streets & Curbs: LA’s Olympic Mobility Plans Reimagined
AM
Status & Future of California’s Clean Truck Market
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Sustainability & Circular Economy in Practice
Carbon Negative, Climate Positive: The Future of Carbon Removal
AM 3:30 PM 4:25 PM 9:10 AM 10:10 AM
Port Logistics & a 21st Century 710
EV MARKET MOMENTUM: Reports of the Demise of EVs Greatly Exaggerated
EV MARKET MOMENTUM Part II: How can ZEV infrastructure advance in a more hostile world?
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Accelerating & Managing Capital Project Delivery (Ports-Air/Freight/Sea)
Carbon Negative, Climate Positive: The Future of Carbon Removal 10:00 AM
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
9:10 AM Hydrogen Outlook Under Trump 2.0
10:10 AM Public/Private Partnerships to Advance Hydrogen Initiatives
11:00 AM 710 Corridor: The Hydrogen Pitch
2:40 PM Hydrogen Hub Update
3:30 PM California Clean Bus Strategy
MONDAY, APRIL 7
By-Invitation Roundtable: Financing Community Resilience
Insurance & Climate Risk
A Just Energy Transition & Economic Rebuild
New Pathways to Jobs & Workforce Training for the Green Economy
Don’t Call it ESG—Call it National Security & Resilience
WTC-LA Consular Panel: Supply Chains Going Forward
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Ramifications of Governor’s Suspension of CEQA & Coastal Act Regulations to Speed Wildfire Recovery
Investment in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions The Los Angeles Polycrisis
