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Ten Across Conversations examines pressing issues impacting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor. From Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California, this region provides a compelling and comprehensive window into...
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Ten Across Conversations examines pressing issues impacting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor. From Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California, this region provides a compelling and comprehensive window into the major challenges and opportunities of the 21st century in their most extreme. Join founder and executive director, Wellington “Duke” Reiter, as he chats with subject experts bringing unique insights and new ways of thinking to reveal our collective capacity to create a more resilient future.
For more information about the Ten Across Initiative visit www.10across.com.
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For more information about the Ten Across Initiative visit www.10across.com.
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
4 JUN 2026 · As the Colorado River approaches a pivotal moment facing historically low flows and record-breaking shortages, decisions made in 2026 will help determine the future of water, energy, and economic security across the American West. Today, Ten Across Conversations shares an episode from Arizona State University's https://research.asu.edu/news/podcast/ podcast, featuring Ten Across friend and water law expert Rhett Larson.
With existing Colorado River operating agreements approaching expiration, stakeholders across seven states, tribal nations, and two countries are grappling with how to manage a resource that faces increasing pressure from aridification and competing demands. Larson explains why these negotiations are among the most consequential water policy discussions in decades and what they reveal about the challenges ahead for communities throughout the Southwest.
Drawing connections between water governance, urban development, climate adaptation, and regional resilience, Lab Coat Optional host Pete Zroika chats with Larson to explore how long-foreseen challenges in the Colorado River Basin are becoming a present-day reality—and why rethinking our assumptions about growth and sustainability may be essential for the future.
Guest Bio
Rhett Larson is a Professor of Law and the Richard Morrison Professor of Water Law at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, where his research focuses on the impact of technological innovation on water rights regimes, particularly transboundary waters, and the sustainability implications of a human right to water. He specializes in dispute resolution and improved processes in water rights adjudications in Arizona and the Colorado River Basin. Professor Larson also practiced environmental and natural resource law with law firms in Arizona, focusing on water rights, water quality, and real estate transactions.
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2026/05/15/water-houses-how-get-both-opinion/90035524007/ (Rhett Larson for The Arizona Republic, May 2026)
https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2026/06/03/states-sign-mou-to-share-water-across-dry-colorado-river-basin/ (Times of San Diego, June 2026)
https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/05/25/new-federal-data-outlines-grim-colorado-river-projections (Marketplace, May 2026)
Explore the https://azwaterblueprint.asu.edu/ to find out the source of your water
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/just-add-water-9780190948009?cc=us&lang=en& by Rhett B. Larson (Oxford University Press)
https://repository.law.asu.edu/Repository/Rhett-Larson-110821/Book/Day-Zero-How-Cities-Run-Out-of-Water-10611.html by Rhett B. Larson (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2027)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/the-hard-decisions-ahead-for-lower-basin-colorado-river-states/ (December 5, 2025)https://10across.org/latest-deadpool-projections-inject-new-urgency-into-colorado-river-negotiations/ (September 19, 2025)https://10across.org/understanding-colorado-river-basin-groundwater-resource-risks-with-jay-famiglietti/ (June 6, 2025)https://10across.org/checking-in-on-tense-colorado-river-negotiations-with-anne-castle-and-john-fleck/ (April 10, 2025)
Episode Credits
https://10across.org/category/podcast/ Host: Duke ReiterAudio Production: Louie DuranResearch and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
https://research.asu.edu/news/podcast/is a production of the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise.
Executive produced by Kate HowellsProduced by Alexander Chapin and Pete ZriokaHosted and reported by Pete ZriokaShot by Alexander ChapinEdited by Quinton Kendall and Alexander ChapinOriginal music from Patrick CheungMotion graphics by Andy RamosArt by Andy Keena and Sophia Franz
1 MAY 2026 · As artificial intelligence has grown globally, so has the construction of immense, resource-intensive data centers. The arrival of these projects-- both the facilities and the powerful tech companies behind them-- in communities throughout the U.S. has created some controversy. Ten Across cities like Tucson, El Paso and San Antonio have made headlines recently for community resistance to development deals that might strain local resources in exchange for uncertain or marginal economic benefits.
In the fourth and final installment in this series on the nexus of Texas water, energy, and growth, host Duke Reiter looks at what these stories can tell us about similar scenarios playing out in the Ten Across region and in the nation at large. He is joined by San Antonio District 6 Councilmember Ric Galvan and Robert Moore, founder of the nonprofit newsroom El Paso Matters, to discuss:
- The importance of preventing “develop-by-right” policies and preferential treatment toward private industry from permitting data center developments at significant expense to local communities
- The value of intentional partnership between local utilities and governments when evaluating resource-intensive land use proposals
- What the AI boom may mean—for better and for worse—for the future of local economic development and job growth
Stay until the end of the episode for takeaways from the rest of the series and for the Interstate 10 corridor as a whole. Missed an episode? Get caught up on parts 1-3, linked below.
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://communityimpact.com/san-antonio/north-san-antonio/government/2026/03/18/san-antonio-looks-to-create-tailor-made-model-for-data-center-growth/ (Community Impact, March 2026)
https://elpasomatters.org/2026/03/29/meta-data-center-el-paso-10-billion-expansion-water-gas-electricity-usage/ (El Paso Matters, March 2026)
https://elpasomatters.org/2025/12/02/el-paso-texas-meta-data-center-water-usage/ (El Paso Matters, December 2025)
https://elpasomatters.org/2025/12/02/podcast-meta-ai-data-center-tax-breaks-el-paso-texas-economy/ (El Paso Matters, December 2025)
https://azluminaria.org/2025/08/06/tucson-city-council-rejects-project-blue-amid-intense-community-pressure/?_bhlid=15d362b02dfc619ecdf81f2ae296a65cab4bc1e2 (Arizona Luminaria, August 2025)
Local Data Center Development Guides Produced by Friends of Ten Across
https://climatecenter.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Data-centers-guide.pdf (USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, April 2026)
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/turning-the-data-center-boom-into-long-term-local-prosperity/ (Brookings, February 2026)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/new-ten-across-conversations-limited-podcast-series-starts-february-5/
https://10across.org/part-one-can-texas-drought-proof-its-economic-miracle/
https://10across.org/part_2_does_texas_have_the_water_to_support_an_ai_boom/
https://10across.org/oil-wars-nuclear-and-ai-can-texas-power-americas-future/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Writer and producer: Taylor Griffith
Editor: Kate Carefoot
Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, Maya Chari, and Sabine Butler
About our guests
Ric Galvan represents District 6 on San Antonio’s City Council. Prior to that, he was a District 5 staff member and President of the Piper Meadow neighborhood association. At 25, he is among the youngest members ever elected to the council.
Robert Moore is the founder and CEO of https://elpasomatters.org/. He has been a journalist in the Texas Borderlands since 1986.
9 APR 2026 · As conflict in the Persian Gulf threatens global oil supplies and artificial intelligence drives unprecedented demand for electricity, Texas is in a race to unlock the full potential of its diverse and deregulated grid. The path it chooses may arguably shape the U.S. economy and global energy markets.
In this third episode of our series on Texas water, energy, and growth, host Duke Reiter is joined by UT Austin professor, author, and global energy consultant, Dr. Michael E. Webber and president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance, Reed Clay to discuss:
- How the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has sent the world reaching for U.S. oil and natural gas and what this means for Texas
- How Texas came to lead the nation in renewable energy generation in the years following Winter Storm Uri, despite the rhetoric
- What makes Texas a leading contender in the U.S. for a nuclear energy renaissance
- Why surging AI-driven energy demand could accelerate the clean energy transition, not slow it down
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-lng-exports-break-record-high-middle-east-war-disrupts-global-supply-2026-04-01/?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9JUOYO1y_62NBY3anGuOtbHPQXsubv_-PR_AOn2FpfJFXhyuTR47PwWKPOHj7-UfRr00iJSAJKA-YbZoohZP1p4AtWIw&_hsmi=411947569&utm_content=411947569&utm_source=hs_email (Reuters, April 2026)
https://truthout.org/articles/a-texas-city-faces-water-crisis-as-big-oil-and-gas-use-most-of-it/ (Truthout, March 2026)
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/is-us-headed-toward-electricity-crisis (Canary Media, January 2026)
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/29/texas-winter-storm-uri-anniversary-power-grid-ercot/ (Texas Tribune, January 2026)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/23/fermi-america-data-center-amarillo-texas-00701800 (Politico, January 2026)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/09/nuclear-power-energy-radioactive-waste-storage-disposal.html (CNBC, November 2025)
https://www.power-technology.com/news/texas-renewable-energy-grid-defies-trumps-claims-solar-wind/?cf-view (Power Technology, July 2025)
https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%282021%29%20EventsFebruary2021TexasBlackout%2020210714.pdf (University of Texas at Austin)
https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/final-report-february-2021-freeze-underscores-winterization-recommendations (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/part-one-can-texas-drought-proof-its-economic-miracle/
https://10across.org/part_2_does_texas_have_the_water_to_support_an_ai_boom/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Writer and producer: Taylor Griffith
Editor: Kate Carefoot
Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, Maya Chari, and Sabine Butler
About our guests
Reed Clay is president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance. Prior to that, Reed was the Chief Operating Officer of Texas under Governor Greg Abbott and the founder of the government affairs consulting firm Crestline Group. He is also an experienced litigator and founding partner of Clay Scott LLP, with prior experience in the U.S. Department of Justice and Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Dr. Michael E. Webber is the Sid Richardson Chair in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the Cockrell Family Chair #16 in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to that, Michael served as CTO of Energy Impact Partners and Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a global energy company. Michael has authored or co-authored more than 600 publications, including the book https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/michael-e-webber/power-trip/9781541644380/ and https://thirstforpower.com/ both of which, were developed into award-winning documentaries.
12 MAR 2026 · Texas has emerged as a frontrunner in President Trump’s push for U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence and is poised to become the nation’s top data center market. With data centers rapidly scaling across Texas, the state is emerging as a bellwether for the nation—highlighting how rapid, resource intensive AI-driven growth can outpace infrastructure planning and strain limited resources.
In this second episode of our series on how present choices in water, energy and growth will shape the future in Texas, host Duke Reiter is joined by water policy expert Dr. Margaret Cook of the Houston Advanced Research Center and Texas Monthly contributor Christopher Collins to explore:
Why state-level water policy may struggle to keep pace with rapid industry changes
How energy and water demands are conjoined in data infrastructure
How state and local legislators can support transparency in data center development
How unregulated competition between industries and communities over constrained resources can go wrong
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/abilene-stargate-artificial-intelligence/ https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/abilene-stargate-artificial-intelligence/ (Texas Monthly, February 2026)
https://harcresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Thirsty-Data-Water-Use-and-The-Projected-Data-Center-Boom-in-Texas.pdf (Houston Advanced Research Center, January 2026)
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/12/how-americans-view-data-centers-impact-in-key-areas-from-the-environment-to-jobs/ (Pew Research Center, March 2026)
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-regulators-will-ask-data-centers-to-begin-reporting-their-water-usage/ (KXAN, March 2026)
https://www.kwtx.com/2026/02/13/texans-are-demanding-their-local-governments-push-pause-data-centers-can-they/ (KWTX, February 2026)
https://www.reporternews.com/story/news/2025/10/14/water-electricity-concerns-addressed-by-stargate-data-center-leaders-in-abilene-texas/86585222007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z11xx79p002650c002650v11xx79d--58--b--58--&gca-ft=198&gca-ds=sophi (Abilene Reporter News, October 2025)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/part-one-can-texas-drought-proof-its-economic-miracle/
https://10across.org/ai-series-balancing-data-infrastructure-resource-demands/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Written and produced by: Taylor Griffith
Edited by: Kate Carefoot
Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, Maya Chari, and Sabine Butler Guest Bios:
Christopher Collins is a freelance writer, editor, and Texas Monthly contributor based in Abilene, Texas.
Margaret Cook is vice president of water and community resilience at the Houston Advanced Research Center and the author of a new white paper, entitled https://harcresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Thirsty-Data-Water-Use-and-The-Projected-Data-Center-Boom-in-Texas.pdf With a doctorate in civil engineering, a masters in environmental and water resources engineering, and a bachelors in civil engineering, she is among the first in the state of Texas to quantify and recommend legislation for addressing current and projected data center water demands.
5 FEB 2026 · Everything’s bigger in Texas, including a water crisis. According to the Texas Water Development Board, population and industrial demand could outpace existing supply by 7 million acre-feet by 2070—an amount equal to the current annual water demand of the entire state of Arizona.
Last November, Texas voters approved the largest investment in water infrastructure in the state’s history: $20 billion over 20 years. But is this enough to address current needs and ongoing rapid growth? In the first part of our series on how present choices in water, energy and growth will shape the future in Texas, we’ll explore:
- How cities like Corpus Christi are facing impossible trade-offs between the needs of industry and residents
- Why a 100-year-old “Rule of Capture” is sparking battles over groundwater exports - Whether Texas can balance its booming $2.7 trillion economy with the inescapable realities of water constraints
- Why is this relevant for the Ten Across region and the Nation
This episode features conversations with Texas State hydrologist Robert Mace, Texas 2036 policy director Jeremy Mazur, and real estate broker and water law professor Charles Porter.
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/east-texas-water-wars-kyle-bass/ (Texas Monthly, September 2025)
https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/11/texas-water-supply-crisis/ (The Texas Tribune Staff, September 2025)
https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-water-crisis-charles-perry-proposal-sb-7-pipeline-desalination/ (Texas Standard, April 2025)
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/expensive-plan-to-save-texas-water/ (Texas Monthly, April 2025)
https://texas2036.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/TxWater-Infrastructure-Assessment_Texas-2036_2024.pdf (Jeremy Mazur, Texas 2036)
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/drawing-straws-2/ (Texas Monthly, July 2012)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/understanding-colorado-river-basin-groundwater-resource-risks-with-jay-famiglietti/
https://10across.org/the-future-of-water-is-here-are-we-ready/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Written, produced, and edited by: Taylor Griffith
Episode concept provided by: Kate Carefoot
Research and support provided by: Rae Ulrich, Kelly Saunders, and Sabine Butler
About our guests
Robert Mace is the executive director of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and professor of practice in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Texas State University. He previously worked at the Texas Water Development Board for 18 years, rising to become the Deputy Executive Administrator for Water Science and Conservation. He holds a B.S. in geophysics, M.S. in hydrology and a Ph.D. in hydrogeology.
Jeremy Mazur is the director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy at Texas 2036. During the 88th Texas Legislature, he supported policy expanding Texas’s financial strategy for developing water infrastructure, establishing regulatory frameworks for hydrogen energy, and, among other initiatives, incentivizing regional solutions for water utilities. He is currently leading a https://texas2036.org/energy-future/ of how different energy portfolio pathways contribute to state economic growth, regional water market development, and responses to extreme weather.
Charles Porter is a leading Texas water rights authority, real estate broker and author of multiple books including Water Rights and Policies in the United States. He serves on the National Association of Realtors Board of Directors, has testified as expert witness over 600 times, and successfully sponsored legislation requiring groundwater conservation district disclosure in all Texas residential real estate transactions.
30 JAN 2026 · Ten Across Conversations returns next week with a limited series, a three-part narrative look at key intersections of water and energy in Texas.
What does a severe statewide drought, ambitious industry buildout, and rapid population boom tell us about the future in this part of the country and beyond?
Join us over the next three episodes as we take you from the halls of the Texas legislature, where policymakers are working to secure vulnerable infrastructure and resources across the state, to the Big Country and west where residents watch the land transform into colossal data centers feeding the race to support AI.
We will explore how these stories connect—how decisions made in the Oval Office are reshaping Texas water, energy and infrastructure policy, how people are navigating changes, and how decisions made here reflect the interests of the Ten Across region and the country at large. Episode one is available February 5th.
Series release schedule
February 5th: A look at Texas’s efforts to drought-proof economic and population growth
February 19th: Meeting direct and indirect water needs tied to data centers
March 5th: Big tech demands are reshaping the Texas grid and energy landscape
March 19th: A regional analysis of water, energy, and the future of tech along the I-10
19 DEC 2025 · This 2025 Ten Across podcast year in review takes a deep dive into the critical issues shaping the future of the Interstate 10 corridor.
We’ve curated a series of interview clips and reflections that will examine contemporary U.S. climate, economic, and governance-related concerns as presented along this transect. From rising risks in insurance markets to the shifting responsibilities for disaster recovery, we’ll examine the urgent need for proactive solutions.
Some of the key questions we tackle include:
Can insurance remain affordable and accessible in an era of escalating climate risks?
As disaster recovery moves to state and local levels, do these agencies have the capacity to handle increasing demands?
On the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, what lesson have we learned and how are they shaping our adaptation efforts today?
Tune in for a thought-provoking recap and discussion that offers valuable insights into how we can better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Featured podcasts by order of appearance in this recording:
https://10across.org/10x-convergence-the-regions-experts-convene-to-address-the-insurability-crisis/
https://10across.org/the-future-of-insurability-new-approaches-and-mindsets/
https://10across.org/mississippi-river-mayors-coalesce-to-address-shared-climate-risks/
https://10across.org/why-the-ten-across-geography-needs-fema-with-dr-samantha-montano/
https://10across.org/extreme-heat-has-only-just-begun-how-prepared-is-the-u-s/
https://10across.org/katrinas-20th-vann-r-newkirk-on-what-we-owe-climate-disaster-survivors-today/
https://10across.org/katrinas-20th-jeff-hebert-on-community-recovery-and-resilience/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith
Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
11 DEC 2025 · Economic and social science research suggests climate risks are beginning to inform where people choose to live, raise families, and invest, foreshadowing the decline of a near 75-year trend of https://www.frbsf.org/research-and-insights/publications/working-papers/2024/07/snow-belt-to-sun-belt-migration-end-of-an-era/ This is the focus of urban planner and trusted climate adaptation scholar Jesse M. Keenan’s new book, North: The Future of Post-Climate America.
As the costs of environmental risks to homes, communities and livelihoods become insupportable in the most vulnerable areas of the country, many who are able will gravitate to regions where life can be relatively stable and secure. North is a comprehensive assessment of trendlines and evidence that suggest how this migration will occur—and how leaders can ensure equity and continuity as American populations shift.
Drawing on his extensive background in climate adaptation research, Keenan offers strategies for locations that will be sending people and those that will receive them. He concludes North with a fictional description of what America could look like near the end of this century, when many climate impacts are expected to mature.
In this episode, Ten Across founder Duke Reiter and author Jesse Keenan discuss implications for the Ten Across geography, which is among the most climate-vulnerable regions in the country.
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.keenanclimate.com/north-book
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/01/zillow-removes-climate-risk-data-home-listings (The Guardian, December 2025)
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/19/climate/home-insurance-premiums-costs-usa.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share (The New York Times, November 2025)
https://floodlightnews.org/isle-de-jean-charles-climate-relocation-broken-promises/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter (Floodlight, September 2025)
https://www.frbsf.org/research-and-insights/publications/working-papers/2024/07/snow-belt-to-sun-belt-migration-end-of-an-era/ (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, July 2024)
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/10/04/climateproof-duluth-why-the-city-is-attracting-climate-migrants (MPR News, October 2021)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/climate/climate-migration-duluth.html (The New York Times, April 2019)
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/centers/taubman/files/sunbelt.pdf (Edward L. Glaeser and Kristina Tobio, May 2007)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/how-the-10x-region-can-plan-for-climate-migration-with-abrahm-lustgarten/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith
Music by: Pearce Roswell, Out To The World, Johan Glössner
Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
About our guest
Jesse M. Keenan is the Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning and Director of the Center on Climate Change and Urbanism at the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Tulane University. His research spans design, engineering, finance, and policy, with service to U.S. government agencies, international organizations, and major corporations. Widely published and cited, Jesse’s work has shaped climate policy, financial regulation, and concepts like climate gentrification. He is the author of https://www.keenanclimate.com/north-book, which is available in bookstores on December 17.
5 DEC 2025 · Despite more than two years of intense negotiations, the Veterans Day deadline to agree on the allotment of reduced water supplies under the Colorado River Compact passed without a consensus. If the seven states divided into the upper and lower basins of the river cannot put forward a joint proposal by February 14, the federal government will institute its own plan—which will likely result in appeals to the Supreme Court.
Since the first federal shortage declaration in 2021, Arizona has volunteered to accept the largest cuts in shares of Colorado River water. Given that a third of its overall water demand has relied on the river’s supply, leaders in the state are anxious to conclude the current negotiations so that their long-term planning for alternatives can proceed.
The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a 330-mile manmade canal built to transport Arizona’s portion of Colorado River water across the state. Approved for federal funding by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, CAP is an outstanding example of the infrastructural might that has often been required for cities in the Ten Across region to thrive. The urban boom that began in Phoenix and Tucson in the 1980s and 90s would not have been possible without CAP water.
In this episode Duke Reiter and Terry Goddard, CAP Board president and former Phoenix mayor, discuss how the state has weathered uncertainties surrounding growth and water security in the past, and how leaders need to step up to meet the present moment...and the future.
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2015/04/24/embrace-bad-news/26260427/ (AZ Central, April 2015)
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/befd6c30bcad4d20a127232303e956c1 (Kyl Center for Water Policy, December 2025)
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2025/11/20/arizona-to-review-plans-for-seawater-desalination-to-conquer-drought/87361031007/?utm_source=azcentral-dailybriefing-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailybriefing-greeting&utm_term=newsletter-greeting&utm_content=pphx-phoenix-nletter02 (AZ Central, November 2025)
https://gplinc.org/2025-peirce-report/ (Greater Phoenix Leadership)
https://prism.lib.asu.edu/node/96360
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/latest-deadpool-projections-inject-new-urgency-into-colorado-river-negotiations/
https://10across.org/understanding-colorado-river-basin-groundwater-resource-risks-with-jay-famiglietti/
https://10across.org/checking-in-on-tense-colorado-river-negotiations-with-anne-castle-and-john-fleck/
Credits
Host: Duke Reiter
Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith
Music by: Gavin Luke and Pearce Roswell
Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
About our guest
Terry Goddard served as Arizona attorney general from 2003 to 2010, addressing major issues, including the fallout from the mortgage crisis, border security, and consumer and environmental protections. While mayor of Phoenix from 1984 to 1990, Terry conceived and presided over the Phoenix Futures Forum, the largest city visioning process in the U.S., measured by the number of citizen participants and scope. He was also elected president of the National League of Cities in 1988. Today, Terry is serving his third term as president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board, which oversees the Central Arizona Project.
14 NOV 2025 · In October, stakeholders representing an unusual combination of sectors — public, private, academic, non-profit and journalism — gathered with insurance industry experts at the https://10across.org/events/10x-convergence-2025/, to explore solutions to unsustainable insurance and disaster recovery costs throughout the Interstate 10 region.
Insurers continue to cancel homeowners policies across https://grist.org/economics/insurance-company-bankrupt-hurricane-ida-louisiana/. The industry crisis has begun to spread northward, where a widening Tornado Alley sees growing impacts from property-damaging storms.
This is a complex, all-hands-on-deck issue. Insurance practices and building standards have not adapted to the realities of climate change, and https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/08/insurance-for-physical-climate-risk-management-lessons-from-history?lang=en. On the whole, 10X Convergence participants were clear that viable solutions will require a combination of applied climate and economic research with proactive governance and communications strategies, and that this must be matched by industry willingness to innovate its systems of underwriting and community development.
In this podcast, Ten Across journalists Maya Chari and Taylor Griffith take you through the problems and potential solutions discussed by the diverse group of experts at the 10X Convergence.
Relevant Articles and Resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSqF3ObHqwU
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/12/nx-s1-5546754/climate-home-insurance-cop30-prices-expensive-disasters?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/climate (NPR, November 2025)
https://grist.org/economics/insurance-company-bankrupt-hurricane-ida-louisiana/ (Grist, November 2025)
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/08/insurance-for-physical-climate-risk-management-lessons-from-history?lang=en (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, August 2025)
https://www.budget.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/next_to_fall_the_climate-driven_insurance_crisis_is_here__and_getting_worse.pdf (Senate Budget Committee, December 2024)
Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts
https://10across.org/the-future-of-insurability-new-approaches-and-mindsets/
https://10across.org/carolyn-kousky-on-using-insurance-models-to-drive-positive-change/
https://10across.org/checking-in-with-dave-jones-on-californias-insurance-outlook/
Credits
Hosts: Maya Chari and Taylor Griffith
Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith
Music by: Out To The World, Marten Moses, Lennon Hutton, and Pearce Roswell
Research and support provided by: Duke Reiter, Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler
Guest Bios (in order of appearance):
Steve Bowen is the Chief Science Officer and meteorologist at Gallagher Re.
Adam Reeder is a civil-structural engineer and principal investigator at CDM Smith.
Juliet Rogers is the president of Blue Cottage at CannonDesign.
Laura Phillips-Edgecombe is the duPont Fund principal for public spaces and executive on loan to the City of Jacksonville, Florida.
Clint Noble is a member of the City of Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board and professional geologist with CDM Smith.
Dr. Quinton White is founding executive director of the Marine Science Research Institute and professor emeritus at Jacksonville University.
Alex Harris is the lead climate reporter for the Miami Herald.
Pete Nelson is the communications director for the Gulf Research Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Dave Hondula is the director of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation at the City of Phoenix.
Casi Callaway is the founder and president of Activate Build Connect.
Eric Corey Freed is the director of sustainability at CannonDesign.
Sarina Beges is the associate director of philanthropy and social innovation at the Aspen Institute.
Ashantae Green is the sustainability manager for the City of Jacksonville, Florida.
Ten Across Conversations examines pressing issues impacting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor. From Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California, this region provides a compelling and comprehensive window into...
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Ten Across Conversations examines pressing issues impacting communities along the U.S. Interstate 10 corridor. From Jacksonville, Florida to Los Angeles, California, this region provides a compelling and comprehensive window into the major challenges and opportunities of the 21st century in their most extreme. Join founder and executive director, Wellington “Duke” Reiter, as he chats with subject experts bringing unique insights and new ways of thinking to reveal our collective capacity to create a more resilient future.
For more information about the Ten Across Initiative visit www.10across.com.
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For more information about the Ten Across Initiative visit www.10across.com.
Information
| Author | Ten Across |
| Organization | Ten Across |
| Categories | News Commentary |
| Website | - |
| tenacross@asu.edu |
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