Can the LA Olympics in 2028 be a catalyst for clean energy? How the games could remake transport, power and clean air in the car capital of America

Can the LA Olympics in 2028 be a catalyst for clean energy? How the games could remake transport, power and clean air in the car capital of America

July 14, 2026 · 47 min · Episode 581

About this episode

The episode discusses how the 2028 LA Olympics can drive clean energy initiatives and improve transportation in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, an event that poses formidable logistical challenges. To put it in terms that will be familiar to many Americans, it is the equivalent of seven Super Bowls happening every day, in one of the world’s biggest urban economies. That means huge demands on the city’s transport and energy systems. But it also creates a rare opportunity to use the games as a catalyst to accelerate investment that could leave the city cleaner, more resilient and better connected long after the closing ceremony. In this episode, host Ed Crooks talks to Matt Petersen, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, or LACI. Matt explains how LACI has been using the run-up to the Games as a convening point for public and private sector action. The focus has been on transportation electrification, clean energy deployment and building infrastructure that can help Los Angeles cope with an influx of visitors while improving the quality of life for residents in the long term. Transport is key. Los Angeles is sometimes described as the car capital of the world, and transport will be the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions…

People in this episode

Host: Ed Crooks

Guest: Matt Petersen

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator

Places: Los Angeles, car capital of America

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