News from SoCalGas

Posted by Nancy Arcuri on 12/20/22 • Categorized as Articles

SoCalGas Provides Resources to Help Customers Save Money Ahead of Winter

SoCalGas partners with Google Nest, Southeast Community Development Corporation, Alma Family Services, and All Peoples Community Center to prepare customers for rising costs, also donating 500 energy efficient smart thermostats

LOS ANGELES, November 14, 2022 – In anticipation of cooler winter temperatures, Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is preparing customers with energy-saving tips, customer assistance programs and additional resources to help manage energy usage and utility costs.

“Having access to valuable educational resources and tools provides our community an opportunity to learn how to manage their energy usage and lower monthly costs,” said City of Bell Mayor Monica Arroyo. “It’s wonderful to see organizations take the lead towards a more sustainable future.”

With the support of Southeast Community Development Corporation’s (SCDC) Mobile Technology Center, SoCalGas helped seniors sign up for SoCalGas’ Ways to Save Tool. The partnership focused on ensuring customers are better equipped to effectively manage their energy usage and harness cost-savings measures as winter approaches.

The Ways to Save Tool provides customers with:

With the support of SCDC’s Mobile Technology Center, a traveling mobile lab that features multimedia laptops and technology resources, SoCalGas staff was able to offer in-person step-by-step training for participating individuals to guide them through user-friendly online tools and resources like the Ways to Save Tool.

“SoCalGas is committed to helping customers prepare for and navigate the upcoming colder weather and the increasing cost of energy,” said Don Widjaja, vice president of customer solutions. “It’s important to make energy and cost savings easily accessible to everyone and our Ways to Save Tool is a free service designed to provide tips on how our customers can make minor behavioral adjustments, as well as maintain or upgrade equipment like installing a smart thermostat, that will equate to both energy and money savings.”

As part of an ongoing commitment to sustainable and affordable energy, SoCalGas partnered with Google Nest to donate 500 ENERGY STAR® certified smart thermostats to families and individuals served by SCDC, Alma Family Services, and All Peoples Community Center. Smart thermostats are one of the simplest, most affordable ways to reduce energy consumption. Nest Thermostats are easy to use and have proven energy-saving features, like helping you create an energy-efficient temperature schedule.
“Our commitment towards sustainability can be seen throughout our operations and across our products and services. We are focused on implementing innovative features into our products to provide our customers with easy and accessible sustainable choices in their daily lives,” said Aaron Berndt, head of energy industry partnerships at Google. “We are happy to partner with SoCalGas and local non-profit organizations to make sure individuals in need are provided with an easy and accessible choice to conserve energy.”

While savings may vary depending on climate and personal preferences, among other factors, on average Google Nest thermostats can reduce an average of 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling bills.

“Many individuals and families within our community struggle with enormous educational and financial barriers,” said Emma Hernandez, executive director at SCDC. “I’m grateful to partner with organizations like SoCalGas and Google who have provided us with resources and materials to help overcome those barriers.”

SoCalGas encourages customers to take advantage of energy-saving tips, customer assistance programs and additional resources, such as rebates and no-cost energy efficiency kits, to help manage utility costs this winter.

Tutorial Videos:

English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFkF5F8Ws5M

Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riQ7XAdICv4&t=1s

*Independent studies showed that Nest thermostats saved people an average of 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling. Individual savings are not guaranteed. Learn More.

News from SoCalGas: SoCalGas Completes Green Financing Supporting Company Sustainability Goals

On November 18, SoCalGas announced the successful issuance of $600 million, 30-year fixed-rate “Green First Mortgage Bonds,” to directly support its sustainability investments. SoCalGas issued the bonds under Sempra’s Sustainable Financing Framework and is the first gas-only utility in the United States to issue a green bond. These bonds will help finance and/or refinance sustainability investments in any of three categories: pollution prevention and control, green buildings and clean transportation.

SoCalGas’ sustainability efforts cover a broad range of goals and initiatives aimed at achieving a safe, reliable, resilient, affordable, and equitable energy transition to net zero.

The announcement points out that, just this year, SoCalGas has:

Announced plans to develop the Angeles Link, a dedicated clean hydrogen energy infrastructure system for delivering clean, reliable energy to the Los Angeles Basin to serve hard-to-electrify sectors of the economy such as electric generation, heavy-duty transportation, and heavy industry and manufacturing;
Plans to unveil a renewable hydrogen microgrid and home, the [H2] Innovation Experience, which showcases the resiliency and reliability of a renewable hydrogen microgrid that can power neighborhoods;
Reported that in 2021 it reduced fugitive methane emissions by 37% relative to a 2015 baseline – surpassing the state’s goal of a 20% emissions reduction by 2025 and nearing the state’s goal of a 40% reduction by 2030;
Announced a proposed collaboration with the University of California, Irvine, to demonstrate how electrolytic hydrogen can be safely blended into existing natural gas infrastructure on the university’s campus, an important next step in establishing a statewide injection standard for renewable hydrogen; and
Was awarded “Leading Private Fleet” by the 2022 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, for becoming one of the first utilities in the nation to begin transitioning its over-the-road fleet with the purchase of 50 Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles, the conversion of 200 new Ford F-250 pickup trucks to renewable natural gas and beginning the installation of 1,500 electric vehicle chargers at 67 company facilities.

To learn more about SoCalGas’ sustainability efforts and projects, please reach out to me or check out: https://www.socalgas.com/sustainability.

SoCalGas – An Update on Angeles Link – a Proposed Green Hydrogen pipeline system to deliver renewable energy

SoCalGas is excited to announce that on December 15, 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved its request to track costs for advancing the first phase Angeles Link, a proposed green hydrogen pipeline system that could deliver clean, reliable, renewable energy to the Los Angeles region. SoCalGas is grateful to the CPUC and to leaders from labor, environmental organizations, government, and the private sector who are working together on the critical building blocks of California’s clean hydrogen economy.

Proposed in February of this year, Angeles Link would serve hard-to-electrify industries like dispatchable electric generation, heavy-duty trucking and industrial processes. As contemplated, Angeles Link would deliver green hydrogen in an amount equivalent to almost 25% of the natural gas SoCalGas delivers today. In serving those hard-to-electrify sectors of the economy, Angeles Link could:

Displace up to 3 million gallons of diesel fuel per day, or 1 billion gallons annually, and enable conversion of up to four natural gas power plants to run on clean hydrogen.

Eliminate nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) equal to removing 3.1 million cars off the road annually.

Generate billions of dollars in new clean energy investments in the LA Basin and create thousands of new union jobs.

The Phase One activities will include preliminary engineering and design, studies on supply, demand, possible end users, pipeline configuration and storage solutions, environmental considerations, workforce planning and training, robust stakeholder engagement, and an analysis of project alternatives.

In its final decision, the CPUC stated, “the public interest is served if SoCalGas begins conducting a feasibility study of the Project immediately.” The agency also asked SoCalGas to join members of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) in support of the State of California’s application for a share of $8 billion in available federal funds to support regional clean hydrogen hubs.

This decision is an important milestone for Angeles Link and speaks to the growing consensus among policy makers and experts that clean fuels will play a significant role in California’s clean energy transition. California has some of the boldest climate and clean air goals in the nation, and Angeles Link aligns SoCalGas’ scale, 150 years of expertise in service, and its highly skilled workforce with the clean energy and environmental policies that will shape this century.

SoCalGas is a leader in sustainability, having announced its aim to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045—the first large natural gas utility in the United States to do so. As part of SoCalGas’ ASPIRE 2045 Sustainability Strategy, the company is developing an industry-leading portfolio of clean fuels demonstration projects with partners from private industry and the public sector. More than a dozen hydrogen pilot projects are already underway across the company.

SoCalGas looks forward to supporting California in its application for federal hydrogen hub funding and continuing the robust, transparent, and collaborative engagement process that has been a hallmark of Angeles Link from the start.

For more information about Angeles Link, please watch this video and visit socalgas.com/angeleslink.

To receive regular updates, subscribe to our Angeles Link Newsletter.

About SoCalGas

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company’s pipelines will continue to play a key role in California’s clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.

SoCalGas’ mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy company in America. In support of that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills, and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego.

For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.