LOS ANGELES, July 20, 2018 – Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced it will replace a 4.5-mile section of a natural gas pipeline in Ventura beginning on Monday, July 23. The $41.2 million modernization project will enhance the reliability of SoCalGas’ natural gas pipeline system that serves 13,000 homes, 750 businesses and eight critical facilities in the City of Ventura. The project is expected to be completed in early 2019.
The Telephone Road pipeline replacement project is part of SoCalGas’ Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan (PSEP), a multi-billion-dollar program that tests and updates the natural gas pipeline infrastructure in Southern California. Since the PSEP program began in 2013, SoCalGas has conducted hydrostatic pressure tests on 94 miles of pipeline, installed 89 miles of new pipe and installed or upgraded 152 valves to be automatically or remotely controlled throughout its service territory.
"Southern Californians prefer natural gas by a ratio of more than 4 to 1 over electricity to heat their homes and hot water,” said Maria Ventura, public affairs manager for SoCalGas. “Modernizing our pipeline system to meet the needs of our community helps ensure we can continue to reliably provide natural gas service to our customers.”
"Residents, businesses, hospitals, schools, and other facilities in Ventura will benefit from this investment in the natural gas pipeline system," said Neal Andrews, Mayor of Ventura. "The new pipeline installation will ensure that our communities continue to receive safe, reliable natural gas service for home heat and hot water."
To keep the community informed before and during the project, SoCalGas conducted outreach in the following ways: community forums, radio and print advertisements, webpage, flyers, notification letters and door knocking. For more information about this project, visit socalgas.com/ventura.
SoCalGas invests in modernizing its natural gas system to deliver reliable energy while keeping bills affordable for customers. From 2011-2016 the company invested nearly $6 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system and had the second lowest average bills in the nation among gas utilities.
In Southern California, natural gas is the most affordable and reliable option for home and water heating, and for cooking. More than 90 percent of households in Southern California residents rely on natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. In addition, about 60 percent of all electricity generated in California is produced using clean burning natural gas. Generating electricity locally using natural gas helps California avoid importing electricity generated with less desirable fuels like coal.
Lane Reductions on Telephone Road begin July 23
The replacement of new natural gas pipeline will start on Telephone Road near Wells Road on July 23 through early 2019, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the day work areas and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the night work areas. The pipeline modernization work will be conducted in a series of sections and will progress towards the 101 freeway. To perform this pipeline installation safely, eastbound traffic will be reduced to one lane around each section of the work site for approximately seven months.
Local businesses will remain open during the construction. Businesses and customers are not anticipated to experience any service interruptions. Some local businesses and residents may occasionally smell the odorant in natural gas and may also hear some work-related noise. During work hours, commuters passing by the work site will see excavation, equipment and vehicles. Motorists are asked to follow all traffic signs for their safety and the safety of others. Customers with questions may contact SoCalGas’ call center at 1-800-427-2200. The call center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable natural gas service to 21.7 million customers across 22,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Natural gas delivered through the company’s pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians—about 60 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas is committed to investing in its natural gas system infrastructure, while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2013 through 2017, the company spent nearly $6 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system to enhance safety and reliability. The company is also committed to being a leader in the region’s clean energy future, and is working to accelerate the use of renewable natural gas from dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants and the development of renewable energy storage technologies. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 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.