LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2007 – Southern California Gas Co. (The Gas Company) announced that it is committing up to $2.2 million in energy-efficiency programs and services to the Palm Desert Partnership Demonstration Project between 2007 and 2008, with possible additional funding in future years.

        “We applaud Palm Desert’s aggressive goal of reducing its overall energy use and peak electric demand by 30 percent, and we’re making an ambitious and sustained effort to help achieve it,” said Mark Gaines, The Gas Company’s director of customer programs.

        The Gas Company will help fund a citywide advertising and education campaign offering free energy audits and promoting a broad range of natural gas residential and commercial energy-efficiency programs, including:

        • Rebates for qualifying energy-efficient furnaces, dishwashers, clothes washers, water heaters, and attic and wall insulation that could amount to hundreds of dollars per customer;
        • Rebates of up to $2,000 per appliance for qualifying energy-efficient food service equipment--including rack ovens, combination and convection ovens, steamers, fryers and griddles; and
        • A variety of energy-efficiency rebates and incentive programs for other businesses, as well as apartment buildings and mobile-home parks. In addition, The Gas Company will support new programs customized for the energy-efficiency partnership including:
        • Working in tandem with Southern California Edison to provide a comprehensive heating, ventilation and air-conditioning program that encourages the early replacement of furnaces; 
        • Offering incentives for installing energy-efficient pool heaters in multi-family dwellings; and
        • Supporting a demonstration project for solar water-heating systems.

         “The combined efforts of The Gas Company, the City of Palm Desert and Southern California Edison are creating a model energy-efficiency campaign that will achieve far-reaching and long-lasting results,” Gaines said. “I am confident that our successes here will inspire future energy-efficiency initiatives in other cities.”

        The Gas Company is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, providing safe and reliable energy to 20.1 million consumers through 5.6 million meters.  The company’s service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles in most of central and Southern California.  The Gas Company strives to provide exceptional customer service to enhance the quality of life in the community.  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.  To learn more, go to www.socalgas.com.