ESCONDIDO, April 19, 2006 – California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) President Michael Peevey and Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) officials today unveiled the new 550-megawatt (MW) Palomar Energy Center in Escondido, the first large-scale new power-generation facility to be built in San Diego County in more than three decades.  

        Sempra Energy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Donald E. Felsinger joined SDG&E Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Edwin A. Guiles and Commissioner Peevey at the ceremony.

        The new facility will be online in time to meet the region’s need for safe reliable energy as the weather heats up and energy use peaks this summer.  The energy center can supply enough energy for approximately 360,000 homes.  

        “The Palomar Energy Center is an important step forward in our long-term resource plan to meet our region’s energy needs, both now and in the future,” said Guiles.  “This center is part of our commitment to serving our customers’ energy needs, and they can count on us to fulfill that commitment.”  
  
        The new, state-of-the-art energy center employs the latest technology to reduce the amount of natural gas needed to fuel the turbines and control air emissions.  The energy center is located in a ravine, which will mitigate noise and reduce its profile in the city of Escondido.

        As a good corporate citizen, SDG&E also will contribute $200,000 annually to the Escondido Center for the Arts.

        SDG&E’s long-term resource plan calls for increased energy efficiency, additional renewable resources, like wind and solar, plus additional large-scale in-basin generation facilities and more transmission capability. 

        To fulfill the plan, SDG&E has established aggressive energy-efficiency goals and continues to acquire additional green energy supplies, with approximately 12 percent under contract.  SDG&E’s goal is to supply 20 percent of its customers’ needs from those resources by 2010.

        In addition, SDG&E recently began construction of the Otay Metro Powerloop, a 52-mile transmission line around the county that will move energy more efficiently from the proposed Otay Mesa Energy Center to other parts of the county.
SDG&E also has proposed to build a new transmission line, the Sunrise Powerlink, to bring in additional electricity, including energy from green resources, from the Imperial Valley and elsewhere.

        SDG&E currently serves 3.4 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 825,000 natural gas meters.  The utility’s service area spans 4,100 square miles and serves customers in more than 125 communities from Southern Orange County to the Mexican border.  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.  To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.