LOS ANGELES, June 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has joined the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) in issuing a request for proposals (RFP) to support the development of ultra-clean natural gas engines for a variety of heavy-duty vehicle applications in the South Coast Air Basin (SCAB) and San Joaquin Valley Air Basin (SJVAB).

"Natural gas will play a vital role in advancing transportation solutions that support California's goals and policies for emission reductions and a sustainable energy future," said Jeff Reed, director of business strategy and development for SoCalGas.

"Natural gas has a proven track record as a clean fuel in a wide range of vehicle types," said Barry Wallerstein, SCAQMD's executive officer. "This initiative will take natural gas engine technology to the next level to help us meet our clean air goals in the Southland."

The initiative, funded up to $9 million by the participating agencies together with $500,000 in matching funds from SoCalGas, aims to demonstrate natural gas engines capable of achieving aggressive, near-zero emission standards for on-road, heavy-duty vehicle applications suitable for refuse, goods movement, drayage, transit, or school bus applications.

The purpose of the RFP is to provide financial assistance to contractor teams to develop near-zero nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission heavy-duty natural gas engines, integrate the engines into heavy-duty vehicles chassis, and evaluate the performance of the vehicles in a variety of heavy-duty vehicle applications in the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley Air Basins.  Proposals are due by July 24, 2013 and the complete RFP (bid #P2013-22) is available online at http://www.aqmd.gov/rfp/index.html.

"Innovative research and demonstration initiatives such as this will help to make it possible to harness the potential of abundant, low-cost natural gas for transportation applications, while advancing toward our state's common goal of zero and near-zero emissions technologies.  SoCalGas is pleased to be part of this effort along with our research partners," said Reed.

SoCalGas is co-hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, June 12 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss various natural gas engine technologies for heavy duty vehicle applications. To register or access the archived content, please visit: http://naturalgastrucks.eventbrite.com/#

News media can get the latest news by following @SoCalGasNews on Twitter.

About Southern California Gas Company
Southern California Gas Company has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 years. It is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 20.9 million consumers connected through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company's service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border.  SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).

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SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.