Building Resilience: Wildfire, Water, and Extreme Heat

Nahai: [...] I’ll start by saying this: you know what a difference a year makes, right? I remember being at this podium last year, extolling the virtues of the Inflation Reduction Act and talking about all of the renewable energy projects it was spawning across the country. We stood then at the precipice of a new dawn of environmental protection and renewable energy development.

That’s what we were looking at last year. But as we stand here today, we have a federal government that is trying to deny the existence of climate change—even though we see it, feel it, and suffer from it all around us, with worse to come. We’ve had the heartbreaking experience of the wildfires, which claimed 29 lives, destroyed 37,000 acres, and scorched 16,000 structures. As we look at the landscape and the ravages of climate change, we know we’ll increasingly have to both deal with its impacts and reduce our own contributions. In terms of extreme heat, we know those events are going to increase. I think in the U.S. there were something like 1,300 deaths from extreme heat—that’s here, in the United States of America.

I’ve lived on three continents. I can tell you there are places where there’s no escape from the heat—no cooling centers, no air conditioning. We’re lucky in this country, but when we think about how others suffer, we know extreme heat will be a killer all over the world. Right here at home, regarding our water resources, we know that by 2040, with the icepack in the Sierras declining, we have to do something about producing our own local water resources. That means much more recycling, rainfall capture, aquifer remediation, and conservation.

In terms of energy…we have a responsibility to show the world that we can move toward cleaner energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and continue to thrive economically while keeping our workers working. We can do that, and I believe we have a responsibility to show that it can be done—affordably and effectively. Notwithstanding the efforts of the federal government, we are California, the fourth largest economy in the world, and even if we can’t count on federal help for the transition to clean energy and local water resources, I think we can rely on our own.…

Lindsey, I’ll begin with you. I want to talk about the County’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery—a commission you convened with a set of recommendations, and I’d like you to elaborate a bit. Were you pleased with the commission’s work and with the reaction those recommendations have received? How do you see them coming to fruition?

Horvath: [...] In partnership with the experts at UCLA, we brought together people from around the country—but also rooted right here in Los Angeles—from different sectors to inform what we needed to be thinking about for a sustainable, resilient recovery. We knew, while we were combating the fires and preparing for recovery, that we had to be bold. The result was a very bold report with strong and meaningful recommendations. Ones that the County is certainly taking to heart. I know the entire region is looking at this commission, its work, and what it can mean for our collective future.

We thought about the finance sector and the resources that will be needed for upfront investments to make real changes to our built environment. We thought about the insurance sector, which is a huge concern for both homeowners and businesses, as well as for legislators, considering what policies need to change. So we approached this not only from the angles people might expect—resilient building, home hardening, and so forth—and of course, the Green Building Council was represented there. But we also took a holistic perspective.

I’m proud of the recommendations that came out of this process, and I’m glad we’ve already started to take action on some of them. We also know that a few recommendations have been met with challenge—and I think part of that is simply misunderstanding. For example, there was a state bill introduced to help us create a Rebuilding Authority. That bill got paired with language from another bill about transportation and density. The two were never meant to be tied together, but because they were, confusion arose. I acknowledge that led to frustration, but it shouldn’t lead to inaction.

As it relates to the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations, we’re really thinking about how we build back smarter, safer, and more resiliently for future generations.

We also just completed our After Action Report in the County, which makes recommendations on how to build out our Office of Emergency Management to better communicate—and, in my opinion, most importantly, to centralize communications—so people know exactly who they should be listening to in a time of crisis. There’s a lot of work being done right now, and I truly believe it will make for a better future if we take these recommendations seriously. Change is hard, but if we don’t take advantage of this moment when people can clearly see that we must do things differently, we risk missing our chance.

Nahai: My next question is for Janisse. I was there for the launch of the Tillman Project…but I wanted to ask you about the grander recycling project—perhaps too grand or not, depending on time, effort, and cost. Of course, I’m talking about Pure Water LA. 

Quiñones: Pure Water LA is actually going to be the largest water recycling project in the world. The largest today is in Orange County, and Orange County’s facility produces about 100 million gallons per day, less than what Pure Water LA is planning. Pure Water LA is designed for 230 million gallons per day, which will allow us to locally manage about 50% of our water load. It aligns with our goal of 70% local water, which is important not just from a legacy perspective—because we have to invest today for the future generations of LA—but also from a resilience standpoint.

We know the Colorado River is in dire need of support, and roughly 91% of LA’s water is imported, either through the LA Aqueduct (which we own) or the State Water Project. What we’re really trying to do is build resilience here at home. Having both aqueducts crossing the San Andreas Fault makes it a very risky proposition for the city, for now and for future generations. So yes, 230 million gallons a day is a huge undertaking. The goal is to maximize the capacity of effluent from Hyperion to produce recycled water. Either direct potable reuse or indirect potable reuse, which we can inject into specific wells.

The project will take about 30 years of construction, rolled out in multiple phases. That’s because we have to move that water from Hyperion all the way north across the city, where we can take advantage of existing gravity systems. We’ll also need to build more storage—because even if we recycle 230 million gallons a day, we don’t yet have enough local capacity to store it all in LA.

We’re working in collaboration with LA Sanitation and LADWP, trying to connect the two projects, because water must be viewed as a regional resource, not just a local one. We’re stronger when we work collaboratively as a region.

The project cost is about $25 billion when complete. People say, “That’s a lot of money.” 

My response is: how much are you willing to pay for water when there is no water?

In 2022, we experienced the biggest drought we’ve ever had. Many peer water agencies in the region barely made it with their State Water Project allocations. We were able to manage because we’ve invested in groundwater remediation, stormwater capture, and conservation. But droughts are coming more frequently—and more severely—which means we have to invest more now. Projects like this aren’t done overnight. When you think about how LA was built. The LA Aqueduct was a generational investment, and this groundwater recycling project is the next aqueduct for Los Angeles. It’s the next legacy project that will allow the city to thrive for generations to come.

Nahai: I agree—and I know that, in my role on the Regional Water Board, wastewater recycling is something we support wholeheartedly. We have the technology to do it, even for direct potable reuse…We live our lives through investments, and this is exactly that: an investment in our future. Now, you mentioned Pure Water Southern California as well. 

Let’s turn to that project and to Liz Crosson from MWD.

Crosson: [...] Pure Water Southern California is a joint project led by the Metropolitan Water District and the LA County Sanitation Districts. It takes recycled water from the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson, treats it to advanced standards, and then injects it into groundwater basins and conveys it up for passive recharge in the San Gabriel Basin. 

Eventually, the project will also deploy direct potable reuse into our drinking water system at a couple of treatment plants in the San Gabriel Valley and Orange County. It will be the largest water recycling facility in the nation—for a short while, I hope!—with a full buildout capacity of 150 million gallons a day.

We just completed our comment period on the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and are now reviewing feedback. The final EIR will cover the entire project—the advanced treatment facility, conveyance system, pumping plants, and injection facilities. We expect to bring the final EIR to our board for a decision in early 2026.

We’re a bit ahead of some other projects, but what’s really important to remember about these efforts is that they can be modular. Like Janisse mentioned, we’re staging construction to match evolving needs. Climate change is here, but the future isn’t fixed, so our buildout can be flexible and smart, phased over time to match demand. While our imported supplies from the State Water Project and Colorado River—which make up over half of the region’s supply—are declining, our demand is also down. That’s thanks to Angelenos and people across Southern California who’ve cut their water use. Our goal is to match demand and supply intelligently, phasing water recycling to meet future needs in a cost-effective, adaptive way.

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Nahai: Ted, I’ll turn to you…about the Clean Power Alliance. What I’d like to understand is the business model of this entity, which is pledged to provide nothing but renewable energy to its customers, and to do so in a way that contains costs, meets its expenses, and ultimately proves that clean power can be a lucrative, sustainable business. 

[...] Tell us about CPA—how it’s structured, how it’s working, and why it’s been so successful.

Bardacke: [...] I always enjoy this event every year, and it’s great to be up here with so many people who’ve been instrumental in these efforts. Supervisor Horvath has been on our board for eight years now—one of our founding board members and our current vice chair. And under Liz’s leadership, MWD buys 100% renewable energy from Clean Power Alliance, which really reflects that shared vision: if we’re going to address climate change and build resilience on the water side, we also have to make sure the planet doesn’t keep warming as fast as it’s expected to. Everyone has to take action. 

So across this region, that alignment is really important. Let me explain a bit about our business model, and then talk about one of its weaknesses when it comes to resilience, especially in the current Southern California and federal environment.

We’re a government agency, governed by local elected officials across 38 communities in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. We’re now the fourth-largest electricity provider in California, and the largest provider of green energy in the United States. As David mentioned, we’re the anchor tenant on several major projects—including the Pattern Energy SunZia project, the largest clean energy project ever built in the United States. (That seems to be the theme today—largest, largest, largest—but this one truly is larger than the Hoover Dam, just to give a sense of scale.)

Now, although we are a government agency, we are not dependent on government funding. We don’t get tax dollars. We’re not like MWD, which has an ad valorem tax. The only revenue we receive is what our customers pay. That means we have to be cautious and value-conscious. We have to make sure the value proposition is clear, because that’s what keeps our core business strong—and that core business is to provide clean, reliable energy to our customers. When it comes to resilience, we’ve struggled a bit to quantify the economic value of resilience on a project-by-project basis. In other words, how do you compute a return on investment for resilience?

You can explain it to a company like Amgen or a data center. They know that if they go down, their labs fail or their servers crash, and they can calculate those costs. But for us, as a public entity, it’s harder to quantify the ROI of resilience on individual projects. We can calculate the economic losses from wildfires at a regional level, but translating that into specific, investable returns is challenging. And that’s where, frankly, we will need government partnership—federal, state, and local.

Those are the kinds of investments where there’s initially more of a social value than a direct economic one, but the long-term economic benefits are enormous. So, I look forward to continuing to work with everyone here—and with my fellow panelists—to strengthen the business case for resilience at the project level, so we can bring those societal benefits to the region in a sustainable, measurable way.

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Nahai: […] back to you, Lindsay. I wanted to ask you about another measure you’re endorsing and leading on — the County’s updated Heat Action Plan.

We talked about heat a bit at the very beginning of the program, but as we deal with resilience and protecting our residents, knowing that heat events are going to continue and, unfortunately, become even more intense. Please tell us what we can expect and how you hope to implement it.

Horvath: Well, first, the Heat Action Plan works hand in hand with the County’s award-winning Sustainability Plan..

Nahai: Sure, you have to put in award-winning…

Horvath: I do! Because, for the reasons you’ve been highlighting, there are real questions in some parts of our communities, even across the country, about whether these efforts are worth it. To be recognized for the work we’re doing is important. And I love our County family…because they’re the ones making the OurCounty plan come to life. It’s valuable work that transforms how we live together in community and how we enjoy our quality of life.

Eighty percent of that plan has already been completed, which is exciting. But the plan also calls for an update, and we’re now working on the next phase. So far, it’s created many new green jobs and will continue to do so. It’s helped put us on track toward our air-quality goals and much more.

It’s also kept our focus on equity within communities that are traditionally and disproportionately impacted by climate change. And that’s really where the Heat Action Plan picks up. There are so many communities suffering from the impacts of extreme heat. I think about the Valley — Woodland Hills, for example, which hit a record-breaking 121º last summer. Many people there simply don’t have the resources to protect themselves from that kind of heat and live in buildings that were never designed for those conditions.

So the Heat Action Plan really lays out, from a public health, public policy, and community-based perspective, how we make real, tangible change in our neighborhoods. One major effort, in partnership with the Department of Public Health, has been around tenant protections by establishing a maximum indoor temperature threshold. For decades, housing standards only addressed freezing temperatures, but because of climate change, we now have to think about heat in the opposite direction as well.

We’re also focusing on tree canopy expansion and shade infrastructure, and I think about that not only from the County’s perspective, but also through Metro. How are we protecting people waiting for transit? We want Angelenos out of their cars, but we don’t want them forced back in because waiting for the bus in 110º heat is unbearable.

Still, the root of all of this, the foundation, has to be education. Early warning systems. Helping people understand why this matters, what symptoms to watch for, and how to engage with their local government if they’re experiencing extreme heat. That means working with cities, yes, and schools, but also with community-based organizations, which we’ve found are often the safest, most trusted places for people to get support. Especially in these challenging times, when trust in the federal government is low, community partners have become the front lines for outreach and protection.

So the government’s role is increasingly to support those partners by making sure they have access to the right information, resources, and coordination. There’s been a lot of community engagement already, and still more work to do, and I know we’ll touch on that later in the discussion as well.

Nahai: Thank you. And I also want to thank you for mentioning the word equity, because it’s so important. Diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t just slogans; they’re good values. And we must reject, out of hand, the voices trying to convince people otherwise.

Janisse [...] I want to ask about LA100...what it is at its essence, where things stand, and how you see it evolving toward implementation.

Quiñones: LA100 is our commitment to reach 100% clean energy by 2035, first made by Mayor Garcetti and reaffirmed by Mayor Bass. LADWP is leading that effort. It also has an Equity Strategies Plan attached to it, and I’m glad we’re talking about equity, because when the study was done, about 64% of Los Angeles communities were considered underserved. That number is likely growing given the rising cost of living. The data made it clear: we’ve historically underserved many of our communities in both electricity and water. So as part of LA100, we’re going to correct that intentionally and systematically. 

Where are we today? Last year, we were at 41% renewable energy and 59% clean energy overall. This year, with the Eland Project, we added another 7% renewables, bringing us to 48% renewable and roughly 65% clean energy. We have ten years to go, and we’ll need about ten more “Eland-scale” projects to meet our 2035 goal. We’re working hard to get those projects online, contracted, and built.

On the question of speed and cost, and to your point, David, about educating the federal government, renewables can absolutely be deployed faster and more affordably than traditional fossil-fuel plants. Solar projects can be built in a fraction of the time and at far lower cost, even accounting for the growing electricity demand from data centers and AI systems.

The Eland Project itself is 400 megawatts of solar and 300 megawatts of battery storage, which is essential for dispatching power when the sun isn’t shining. It’s also the largest project LADWP has ever done, a huge milestone that shows what’s possible and gives our team confidence to tackle even bigger builds ahead. It’s also reshaped our relationship with the solar industry. It demonstrated that when LADWP commits, we deliver — and that makes developers eager to work with us.

At the same time, we’re investing heavily in transmission because Los Angeles simply doesn’t have the acreage to host projects of this scale. To put it in perspective, Eland covers about 4,600 acres, which is the equivalent of 13 Dodger Stadiums, parking included. That kind of land doesn’t exist within city limits, so we’re pulling power in from Kern County and the Mojave Desert.

We’re also modernizing our distribution system, which has historically been underinvested. Expanding that capacity is essential to maintain resilience during heat events and to handle the new load from electrification. And yes, Eland was an exceptionally affordable project. We were able to negotiate a strong deal because of partnership, timing, and mutual commitment. Doing that same project today would cost two to three times more. And remember, we built it during the pandemic…which is an achievement on its own.

In the end, I believe Los Angeles has a bright future in showing the world how to do this right, how to build clean, resilient, equitable energy systems. And LADWP is fully committed to that vision.

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Watch or listen to the full panel here!