SoCalGas Earns ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Second Consecutive Year

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Apr 30, 2024, 07:45 ET

The award is one of the ENERGY STAR program's highest levels of recognition and reflects the utility's efforts to help its customers save money, conserve energy and transition to a net-zero emissions future.

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) announced today that the utility was selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for the second consecutive year for demonstrating exemplary dedication to energy efficiency and the ENERGY STAR program. SoCalGas was recognized from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners for the utility's focus on providing direct engagement and incentives for ENERGY STAR products to underserved communities.

SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs are some of the largest in the United States. Over the last five years, they have helped save SoCalGas customers over $241 million in utility bill costs and delivered more than 219 million therms in energy savings. That's enough natural gas usage for approximately 548,000 households a year and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by over 1.2 million metric tons, the equivalent of removing over 250,000 cars from the road annually.

"As part of our ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy, we strongly believe that increasing access to affordable and more sustainable energy solutions is vital for an equitable transition to a carbon neutral future," says Don Widjaja, vice president of customer services – field & solutions at SoCalGas. "By reducing energy consumption, our energy efficiency programs help to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy bills for households and businesses, and improve the environment and quality of life in the communities we serve."

In 2023, SoCalGas helped customers save over $14 million dollars through ENERGY STAR product rebates. The SoCalGas residential rebate program supported the purchase of approximately 16,500 ENERGY STAR natural gas tankless water heaters, 15,500 ENERGY STAR smart thermostats and 10,600 natural gas dryers.

"President Biden's Investing in America agenda creates unprecedented opportunity to build a clean energy economy, and private sector partners through programs like ENERGY STAR are leading the way," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "I congratulate this year's ENERGY STAR award winners for their innovation and leadership, in delivering cost-effective energy efficient solutions that create jobs, address climate change, and contribute to a healthier environment for all."

Energy efficiency is also helping to advance SoCalGas' ASPIRE 2045 aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045. For more ways to lower energy cost and usage throughout the year, the SoCalGas Marketplace offers affordable energy-efficiency financing, energy efficiency rebates, and assistance programs.

SoCalGas was the only utility in California recognized at the ENERGY STAR Awards Celebration in Washington D.C on April 25. For a complete list of the 2024 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR's awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

About SoCalGas  

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas aims to deliver affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to approximately 21 million consumers across approximately 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. We believe gas delivered through our pipelines plays a key role in California's clean energy transition by supporting energy system reliability and resiliency and enabling integration of renewable resources.  

SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy infrastructure 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 replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. RNG can be made from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while working to keep bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure company based in San Diego.  

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

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about the future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

In this press release, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "contemplate," "plan," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "envision," "should," "could," "would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "in process," "construct," "develop," "opportunity," "preliminary," "initiative," "target," "outlook," "optimistic," "poised," "maintain," "continue," "progress," "advance," "goal," "aim," "commit," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our guidance, priorities, strategy, goals, vision, mission, opportunities, projections, intentions or expectations.

Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement include: decisions, investigations, inquiries, regulations, denials or revocations of permits, consents, approvals or other authorizations, renewals of franchises, and other actions, including the failure to honor contracts and commitments, by the (i) California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other regulatory bodies and (ii) U.S. and states, counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein where we do business; the success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks related to (i) completing construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if completed, (iii) obtaining third-party consents and approvals, and (iv) third parties honoring their contracts and commitments; macroeconomic trends or other factors that could change our capital expenditure plans and their potential impact on rate base or other growth; litigation, arbitrations and other proceedings, and changes to laws and regulations, including those related to tax and trade policy; cybersecurity threats, including by state and state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our systems or the systems of third parties with which we conduct business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure; the availability, uses, sufficiency, and cost of capital resources and our ability to borrow money on favorable terms and meet our obligations, including due to (i) actions by credit rating agencies to downgrade our credit ratings or place those ratings on negative outlook, (ii) instability in the capital markets, or (iii) rising interest rates and inflation; the impact on affordability of our customer rates and our cost of capital and on our ability to pass through higher costs to customers due to (i) volatility in inflation, interest rates and commodity prices and (ii) the cost of meeting the demand for lower carbon and reliable energy in California; the impact of climate and sustainability policies, laws, rules, regulations, disclosures and trends, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory environment for California natural gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded assets, and uncertainty related to relevant emerging and early-stage technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information system outages or other events, such as work stoppages, that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the release of harmful materials or fires or subject us to liability for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable insurance; the availability of natural gas and natural gas storage capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline system or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage facilities; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control.

These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements.

Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company