LOS ANGELES, Oct. 3, 2019 - Foodservice professionals will gather next week at Southern California Gas Co.’s (SoCalGas) 9^th Annual Foodservice Equipment Expo, one of the industry’s largest showcases of commercial kitchen equipment. The free event will be held at SoCalGas’ Energy Resource Center in Downey, CA on October 7^th and 8^th.

“Ninety-six percent of professional chefs prefer natural gas for safe, reliable and cost-efficient operations,” said Dan Rendler, director of customer programs and assistance at SoCalGas. “This year’s Foodservice Equipment Expo will feature the latest generation of energy-efficient and reliable commercial natural gas appliances, allowing chefs to use their preferred cooking method while also reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Attendees will be able to view the latest generation of energy-efficient, natural gas equipment and supplies for commercial kitchens, from fryers to steamers to griddles and more. The professional equipment will be on display in a commercial kitchen, ventilation and baking lab, outdoor patio and show booths.

Over 125 foodservice manufacturers and distributors will be showcased, and representatives will be available to discuss the efficiency and effectiveness of these technologies, which can help businesses save energy and reduce operating costs. Local and factory chefs, as well as students,  will provide live cooking demonstrations and tastings at the expo. Food samples new to the expo this year include fresh artisan pizzas and fried chicken with waffles.

The Foodservice Equipment Expo will take place on October 7^th and 8^th from 10:00 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the SoCalGas Energy Resource Center, 9240 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241. Register for the event by visiting www.socalgas.com/expo.

The Foodservice Equipment Expo is part of SoCalGas’ efforts to help its customers improve energy efficiency. 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 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.

The Energy Resource Center provides commercial and industrial customers with economical, efficient, and sustainable solutions for their energy needs and offers a broad variety of services year-round, which includes hands-on commercial kitchen equipment testing, building operator certification training, technical and foodservice seminars, and rebate programs.

The Energy Resource Center was the first building in California to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) recognition, is LEED EB: O&M Platinum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and was named a Top Ten Project by The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Committee on the Environment in 1998. It uses more than 40 percent less water outdoors, nearly 40 percent less water indoors, and more than 50 percent less energy than other commercial buildings its size. Additionally, just last year the facility achieved WELL Certification at the Silver Level for New and Existing Buildings by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).

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.