SoCalGas Unveils Program to Help Californians Access Renewable Gas

(Southern California Gas Co./NGV Journal) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced it and other important stakeholders have agreed on details of a proposed plan to offer renewable natural gas to customers, and have filed that agreement with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Stakeholders include consumer advocate groups, a national environmental organization, and various industry groups. Renewable natural gas can be used just like traditional natural gas to fuel trucks and buses, cook, heat homes and run businesses.

The proposed program would allow millions of Californians the option to purchase a portion of their natural gas from renewable sources, just as many today can opt to purchase renewable electricity. The program is expected to create increased demand for renewable natural gas, which can help increase supply and lower its cost over time, similar to what has happened with renewable electricity created from wind and solar power. So far most renewable natural gas produced in California has been used for heavy-duty trucking.

“Replacing traditional natural gas with the renewable kind is a great way to reduce climate change emissions,” said Andy Carrasco, SoCalGas chief environmental officer. “People like using natural gas for cooking, hot water and home heating, so using renewable gas allows them to keep their preferred energy source while helping achieve climate goals.”

If the CPUC approves it, the renewable natural gas program will be available to residential and small commercial and industrial customers. Residential customers will be able to select a fixed dollar amount per month for the purchase of renewable natural gas. Commercial customers will be able to select a fixed dollar amount per month or select a percentage of their consumption for the purchase of renewable natural gas, up to 100%.

Each month, participating customers would see a line item on their bill that includes the amount of renewable gas they received, along with a very small program fee. As customers opt to purchase renewable natural gas, SoCalGas will buy the renewable gas from producers and reduce the amount of fossil gas that is brought into their pipeline systems. READ MORE