Ambassador Eric Garcetti, former Mayor of Los Angeles and most recently U.S. Ambassador to India, opened VX2026's second day with an extended metaphor: the postwar international order as a building now beginning to crumble, and the choice facing this generation between remaining tenants and firefighters, or becoming its engineers and architects. In his welcoming remarks, Garcetti makes the case that climate progress in America is happening at the city and state level even as the federal administration asserts otherwise.

Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole once was described appropriately by the LA Times as “one of Southern California’s most visionary planning thinkers.” A City Planning Commissioner before successfully returning to the City Council after a 29 year hiatus during which he worked on award-winning General Plans for Azusa and Ventura as City Manager in those cities. He also spearheaded the adoption of the most recent Downtown Plan for Santa Monica in 2017.

As California confronts rising demand, wildfire-driven costs, and federal policy uncertainty, VX News spoke with California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild on the state’s entry into a new phase of energy deployment—defined by speed, scale, and resilience.

LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin reflects on the structural challenges shaping the future of the nation’s second-largest school district, discussing the fiscal implications of one-time federal ESSER funding, pressures of labor negotiations in a high-cost region, and the long-term sustainability of a district that now serves roughly 400,000 students—down from nearly 700,000 two decades ago.

Beth Silverman, Lotus Campaign’s co-founder and executive director, shares the organization’s market-driven model for addressing homelessness by aligning the real estate sector, social service providers, and individuals seeking stable housing. Beth explains how Lotus, launched in 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina, reduces landlord risk through financial guarantees and support services while expanding access to existing housing in “neighborhoods of opportunity.”

In his State of the City address, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie described the city as a “city on the rise” while outlining an agenda focused on making recent progress durable and broadly shared. Highlighting declines in crime, a strengthened police pipeline, expanded treatment capacity, and a coordinated recovery-first approach to fentanyl and homelessness, Lurie tied improved street conditions to signs of economic resurgence downtown, increased tourism and conference activity, and major global events ahead.

FPH2’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jason Caudle explains how California’s hydrogen market is shifting from policy anticipation to market execution. As cities, transit agencies, and suppliers align around offtake, Caudle outlines how FPH2 is aggregating demand, supporting bankable supply, and keeping momentum in the hydrogen market moving forward.