LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2009 – As the Obama Administration pushes for increased use of renewables in the fight against global warming, Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) announced today it expects to award incentives of up to $633,000 to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) for installing the nation’s largest solar photovoltaic system at a transit facility, as well as a state-of-the-art energy management system. 

        The 6,720 solar panels at Metro’s Support Service Center in downtown Los Angeles – Metro’s central maintenance facility for busses – represent the largest solar installation in the City of Los Angeles, with a capability of generating 1.2 megawatts of power.  Metro expects to cut the facility’s annual $1.1 million energy bill in half with the system and reduce carbon emissions by more than 3,700 metric tons – the equivalent of taking 600 cars off the road.

        Metro also installed new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and  compressed air systems, and replaced about 4,000 lighting fixtures, all controlled by a state-of-the-art energy management system.  

        Metro qualified for the incentives by participating in The Gas Company’s Self-Generation Incentive and Business Energy-efficiency programs.  Both are state-sponsored programs that provide financial incentives to businesses for generating their own electricity on site and improving energy efficiency.

        “Thanks, in part, to The Gas Company’s incentives, Los Angeles is now one step closer to becoming the solar capital of the United States,” said Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa.  “Today’s unveiling of the city’s largest solar-powered facility will not only generate clean, renewable energy, but will provide the kinds of green jobs that this economy so desperately needs.”

        “The Gas Company has awarded more than $70 million since 2001 to customers installing electric-generation systems, providing the state with 77 megawatts of much-needed generation – enough to power about 50,000 homes, “ said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for The Gas Company.  “Over the past 18 years, our energy-efficiency programs have helped customers conserve more than 386 million therms of natural gas, or enough to supply energy to more than 770,000 homes for one year, at a cost savings of more than $320 million.

        “We commend Metro for its leadership in the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient equipment, reducing costs and helping California meet its greenhouse-gas emissions-reduction goals,” said Snyder.

        The Metro Support Service Center is used for the central maintenance of Metro’s bus fleet, which includes more than 2,500 compressed natural gas-fueled busses.  Spanning 27 acres, the 400,000-square foot facility consists of five separate buildings where technicians and mechanics keep Metro’s bus fleet in all of the agency’s 11 operating divisions in top condition.

        For more information on The Gas Company’s energy-efficiency and self-generation incentive programs, customers can visit the utility’s Web site at www.socalgas.com/business.

        Southern California Gas Co. 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 safe and reliable energy to 20.5 million consumers through 5.7 million meters in more than 500 communities.  The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles in diverse terrain throughout Central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border.  The Gas Company is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE).  Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company.  

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