LOS ANGELES, July 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced its recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with an ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Market Leader award for 2018. The award acknowledges SoCalGas' commitment to promoting environmental protection and energy efficient construction through the California ENERGY STAR New Homes Program Marketing Support Bonus offered as part of its California Advanced Homes Program. The company also received this award in 2015 and 2017.
"SoCalGas is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and one way we do that is by encouraging the construction of homes that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines," said Dan Rendler, director of customer programs and assistance at SoCalGas. "We are pleased the U.S. EPA continues to recognize our leadership in the area of energy efficiency and are proud to receive this award yet again."
"The success of the ENERGY STAR program is grounded in the great work of our partners, and our Market Leader Award winners demonstrate a high level of commitment to making ENERGY STAR certified homes and apartments available to American consumers," said an ENERGY STAR program spokesperson.
"Energy efficiency is an important part of reducing our impact on the environment and providing environmentally-conscious construction to homebuyers," said Bill Holford, president of Olson Communities at The Olson Company. "SoCalGas' commitment to energy efficiency is admirable and we are proud to be one of their partners."
SoCalGas continues to be a leader in researching and developing new technologies that improve energy efficiency and protect the environment. Between 2014 and 2018, SoCalGas energy efficiency programs delivered more than 180 million therms in energy savings, enough natural gas usage for 403,000 households a year, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by nearly 955,000 metric tons, the equivalent of removing more than 202,000 cars from the road annually. These advances have also helped save SoCalGas customers more than $198 million in utility bill costs. In 2018 alone, SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs saved customers $57 million.
In addition to SoCalGas' energy efficiency programs, the company is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and help meet the state's ambitious climate goals though a recently announced, bold plan to replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. The announcement is part of SoCalGas' vision to be the cleanest natural gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. To kickstart the plan, SoCalGas will pursue regulatory authority to implement a broad renewable natural gas procurement program with a goal of replacing five percent of its natural gas supply with RNG by 2022. The company has also requested that the California Public Utilities Commission allow it to offer customers the option of purchasing a portion of their gas as renewable natural gas.
Renewable natural gas is a clean fuel produced from our waste streams (i.e., sewers and food waste, as well as dairy and agriculture waste) and can be used like traditional natural gas to heat homes and businesses, for cooking, and to fuel trucks and buses. RNG reduces GHG emissions because it takes more GHG emissions out of the air than it emits as an energy source. It also has the same positive impact to the environment as electrifying all homes and buildings in California but at one half to one third of the cost to ratepayers.
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 21.8 million customers across 24,000 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 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.
SoCalGas' vision is to be the cleanest natural gas utility in North America, delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its natural gas system infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its natural gas system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (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.
SOURCE Southern California Gas Company
