SAN DIEGO, Dec. 3, 2008 – Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) today announced that Mark Modera, Ph.D., has been named the first “Sempra Energy Distinguished Scholar in Energy Efficiency” at the University of California, Davis.

        Dr. Modera currently serves as director of the Western Cooling Efficiency Center, associate director of the Energy Efficiency Center and as an adjunct professor in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at UC Davis. 

        “The new Sempra Energy Endowment for Energy Efficiency at UC Davis provides a foundation for our energy efficiency programs,” said Enrique Lavernia, Provost-Designate and Dean, College of Engineering.  “Dr. Modera, the first recipient of this honor, is a national leader in designing and commercializing innovative low-energy cooling systems.  We are grateful to Sempra for anchoring such a critical and core component of our energy program.”
 
        Sempra Energy established the Endowment in Energy Efficiency to support efforts of the Energy Efficiency Center – one of the first of its kind at a major U.S. university – with a grant of $500,000 to UC Davis.
 
        The company is a long-time supporter of UC Davis’ energy-efficiency programs and is a Founding Leadership Sponsor of the university’s nearly three-year-old Energy Efficiency Center.  Edwin A. Guiles, Sempra Energy’s executive vice president of corporate development, serves on the center’s board of advisors. 

        “UC Davis, Sempra Energy and the State of California have been pioneers in energy efficiency – one of the most important tools in reducing greenhouse gases, protecting our environment and conserving our natural resources,” said Guiles.  “We are proud to have Dr. Modera leading this program as we look to accelerate the development and commercialization of energy-efficient technologies.”
 
        Dr. Modera was recruited to UC Davis earlier this year to serve as the permanent director of the newly established Western Cooling Efficiency Center.  With more than 25 years of experience at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Modera developed a new research program focused on thermal energy distribution in buildings, and now works to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial enterprise. 

        Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2007 revenues of more than $11 billion.  The Sempra Energy companies – Southern California Gas Co., San Diego Gas & Electric, Sempra Generation, Sempra Pipelines & Storage and Sempra LNG – serve more than 29 million consumers worldwide.

        About UC Davis

        For 100 years, UC Davis has engaged in teaching, research and public service that matter to California and transform the world.  Located close to the state capital, UC Davis has 31,000 students, an annual research budget that exceeds $500 million, a comprehensive health system and 13 specialized research centers.  The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and more than 100 undergraduate majors in four colleges – Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Letters and Science – and advanced degrees from five professional schools: Education, Law, Management, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine.  The UC Davis School of Medicine and UC Davis Medical Center are located on the Sacramento campus near downtown.  More information: http://www.ucdavis.edu.

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