LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2008 – Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) recently updated more than 250 local community leaders, diverse suppliers and The Greenlining Institute on their progress in meeting workforce- and supplier-diversity goals.

        “We’re committed to reflecting the diversity of the communities we serve in both our employee and supplier ranks,” said Debra L. Reed, president and chief executive officer of The Gas Company and SDG&E.

        Today, more than half of The Gas Company and SDG&E workforce is comprised of minorities — from the front-line field employees to leadership.

        Over the past eight years, the utilities have increased their spending with diverse suppliers almost three-fold — to $303 million from $93 million — or more than 25 percent of overall spending.  By 2014, The Gas Company and SDG&E plan to increase the amount spent with diverse suppliers, including women-, minority- and service-disabled, veteran-owned businesses, to 30 percent.

        In the area of community and philanthropic giving, the utilities also announced that they plan to achieve cash contributions of 1 percent of pre-tax operating income, with 65 percent of these funds invested in programs to reach underserved communities in their service areas.

        The goals, which were announced at a Jan. 24 event, were created to guide the two utilities in expanding their diverse supplier network, facilitate charitable contributions to underserved communities throughout their territories and expand their already diverse workforce.  The Gas Company and SDG&E have committed to exceed the expectations set by the California Public Utilities Commission.

 SDG&E and Southern California Gas Co. are regulated utility subsidiaries of Sempra Energy (NYSE:  SRE).  Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company with 2006 revenues of nearly $12 billion.  The Sempra Energy companies’ 14,000 employees serve more than 29 million consumers worldwide.

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