ASPIRE 2045 Goals

child flying toy plane
Submitted by AAlborno on

SoCalGas’s sustainability goals below are a roadmap for achieving progress, leveraging existing initiatives, and exploring opportunities for collaboration as we work towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

Our sustainability goals strive to align with many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). They also align with Sempra's sustainability strategy described in its 2023 Sustainability Report. 

 

Accelerating the transition to clean energy

Transitioning to cleaner energy is vital. SoCalGas is accelerating this shift by advancing low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and renewable natural gas.

Goals:

  • In collaboration with our research partners, fund $400M for RD&D projects in the areas of clean fuels and hydrogen technology and infrastructure by the end of 20252.
  • Complete five hydrogen pilot projects by 2025.
  • Develop hydrogen infrastructure solutions for the 2028 Olympics.
  • Deliver 20% renewable natural gas to core customers by 20303.
  • Demonstrate technical capability for gas distribution to safely support up to 20% hydrogen blend by 2030.
  • Establish a hydrogen industrial cluster by 2030.
 

Protecting the Climate and Improving Air Quality in Our Communities

SoCalGas is focused on helping to improve air quality and taking actions to decarbonize our operations and support our customers in reducing  their carbon footprints.

Goals:

 

Increasing Clean Energy Access and Affordability

We believe the reliable and affordable supply of clean fuels is vital for an equitable transition to sustainable energy. Every year, more than 180,000 California households and businesses access SoCalGas customer energy efficiency and assistance programs.

Goals:

  • Exceed state energy efficiency goals by 25% or more each year.
  • Enroll 90% or more of eligible low-income customers in alternative rates for energy programs every year.
  • Manage gas procurement costs effectively for core customers and achieve top quartile of lowest average monthly residential bill compared to our top 50 peers nationwide every year7.
  • Develop new clean energy programs for customers by 2025.
  • Engage our diverse Community Advisory Council quarterly through discussions and surveys to collaborate on issues around clean energy access and affordability.
 

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A sustainable future involves the meaningful participation of all. Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the communities we serve, and in the workplace, promotes transparency and trust. It expands opportunity, sparks innovation and helps achieve measurable social impact.

Goals:

  • Take actions to lead the utility industry in racial and ethnic diversity representation in leadership roles by 20258.
  • Take actions to grow representation of women in leadership roles and overall workforce by 20258.
  • Plan to invest $50M to positively impact diverse and underserved communities over the next five years9.
  • Help diverse businesses meet contractual requirements to work with us by increasing supplier participation in Technical Assistance Programs (TAPs) by 30% by 2025.
  • Increase our total annual Diverse Business Enterprise spend to 45% by 2025.
     
 

Achieving World-Class Safety

As the nation’s largest gas distribution utility, safety has been – and will remain – our core value. Our comprehensive approach to safety helps to sustain the well-being of the public and our employees, contractors and infrastructure.

Goals:

  • Train 100% of identified employees in emergency management and incident response each year.
  • Require 100% of approved pipeline construction contractors to have a formal safety management system program as part of contract requirements starting 202310.
  • Enhance damage prevention program to decrease the rate of excavation damages to pipelines by 40% by 2030 compared to a 2020 baseline.
  • Aim to achieve zero employee and contractor fatalities each year11.
 

SoCalGas Settlement Agreement

SoCalGas has reached a settlement with the State of California on Consent for Permanent Injunction and Civil Penalties.

Learn More

Our Renewable Natural Gas Commitment:

SoCalGas’s mission is to build the cleanest, safest, and most innovative energy infrastructure company in America. That mission includes a dedication to increasing the supply of renewable natural gas (“RNG”) to our consumers. Most of SoCalGas’s fuel portfolio is, at present, comprised of non-renewable natural gas derived from fossil fuels. RNG deliveries to our customers represent just under 5% of our existing deliveries as of the end of 2022. For context, however, SoCalGas distributed RNG throughout Central and Southern California in 2020 equivalent to approximately 130% of the natural gas needs of Santa Barbara County. SoCalGas has a goal of delivering 20% RNG to our residential and small commercial and industrial customers by 2030. SoCalGas remains committed to providing increasingly renewable natural gas to its consumers. This is part of our aim to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and delivery of energy by 2045.

Footnotes:

  1. Clean fuels is defined as alternative fuels that have a net zero carbon footprint. Hydrogen, biogas, synthetic natural gas, biofuels, and several synthetic gaseous and liquid fuels fall in that category, as long as their production process and their end use do not lead to net-positive carbon dioxide emissions.
  2. Goal of $400M is an aggregate co-funding target cumulative of 5 years, inclusive of 2021-2025.
  3. Specifically, we aim to provide 20% renewable natural gas to our “core service” as defined by SoCalGas’ Tariff Rule No. 23, by 2030.
  4. See SB 1371, available at: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB1371.
  5. Excludes compressor, transmission, and meter and regulator facilities.
  6. Dependent on functional application and availability of vehicle products.
  7. Third-party peer data used to track progress on this goal will be sourced from American Gas Association (AGA); Top 50 IOUs by Total Customers.
  8. "Leadership role" is defined as a management position of supervisor, team lead, manager, director, and/or officer of the Company.
  9. “Diverse” is defined as Black, Indigenous and People of Color, inclusive of American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Latino or Spanish Origin, Middle Eastern or North African, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (BIPOC). “Underserved” is defined as people sharing a particular circumstance, such as homelessness, low income, ill, in-crisis, disabled, LGBTQIA, military/veterans, immigrants, seniors, youth, and students.
  10. "Approved pipeline construction contractors" defined as a contractor classified under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 237120, pre-qualified, and approved by SoCalGas.
  11. Goal is based on anticipated program expansion approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.