SAN DIEGO, Feb. 4, 2008 – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) today announced that it has signed a power-purchase agreement with Esmeralda Truckhaven to supply 40 megawatts (MW) of geothermal energy to the region’s electric system.  This latest agreement will boost SDG&E’s total geothermal energy supply to 60 MW produced from Esmeralda facilities located in Imperial County, Calif.
 
        A megawatt is the equivalent energy needed to power 650 homes.
 
        “The Imperial County is a renewable mecca for our region’s future energy supply,” said Debra L. Reed, president and chief executive officer of SDG&E.  “As we continue to aggressively seek out renewable sources of energy to meet the state’s 20-percent-by-2010 mandate, we will look to renewable developers such as Esmeralda to help us expand our renewable energy footprint throughout the county.” 
     
        Geothermal energy is generated by using heat from beneath the earth’s surface to form electricity.  It continues to be the largest producing renewable source of energy in California that develops “green” electricity 24 hours a day.

        In addition to the Esmeralda contract, SDG&E added to its renewable-energy portfolio last week when the company received approval of its Envirepel agreement from the California Public Utilities Commission.  The Envirepel agreement is for 1.5 MW of biomass energy to be produced at a facility being developed in Vista, Calif.

        Today, five percent of SDG&E’s energy-resource mix comes from renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal.  SDG&E has continuously pursued renewable energy with market solicitations every year since 2002.  In the most recent solicitation, developers bid more than 5,000 MW of renewable energy for a majority of projects that would be built in the Imperial Valley. 

        The 2008 renewables solicitation will be issued later this month.  
 
        SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.4 million consumers through 1.4 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties.  The utility’s area spans 4,100 square miles.  Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region’s quality of life.  SDG&E 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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