LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- California Governor Jerry Brown today signed into law Senate Bill
1383, the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants bill, which aims to reduce
emissions of potent greenhouse gasses. SB 1383 requires the
California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop a plan and
implement strategies to cut super pollutant emissions, with
specific targets to reduce methane and fluorinated gases
(fgases) by 40 percent, and black carbon by 50 percent by
2030. It also requires state agencies to adopt policies and
incentives to significantly increase the sustainable production and
use of renewable gas. The bill requires the Public Utilities
Commission to work with the CARB and the Department of Food and
Agriculture to direct gas corporations to implement at least five
dairy bio-methane pilot projects that connect to the gas pipeline
system in the next two years. SB 1383 is considered the most
aggressive law to tackle short-lived climate pollutants in the
nation. SoCalGas issued the following statement commending the
Governor for signing the bill:
"SoCalGas commends SB 1383's sponsor Senator Ricardo Lara (D-33) and Governor Brown for
bringing California this bold
legislation that will help drive innovation and develop the market
for renewable natural gas.
"Investments in natural gas have already helped clean our air
and slow climate change in many ways, through natural gas vehicles,
buses and new energy-efficient technologies. Because commercial
transportation is by far California's largest source of air pollution,
SoCalGas' natural gas vehicle (NGV) program is reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions by 750,000 tons a year and NOx emissions by
1,600 tons each year.
"Using renewable natural gas is the next step in addressing
climate issues. SB 1383 will increase the amount of natural gas we
use from renewable sources. Ninety-four percent of methane
emissions in California come from
waste streams, like landfills and dairy farms. This wasted methane
can be harnessed so that instead of contributing to climate change
it can instead be distributed through our existing natural gas
pipeline infrastructure to fuel heavy-duty trucks, heat homes, cook
meals, or generate electricity as renewable energy.
"California could produce
almost 300 billion cubic feet of renewable gas per year just from
organic waste. Instead of sending that waste to landfills or
burning it, it could be used to generate enough renewable
electricity to power two-to-three million homes. In fact, studies
show that existing organic waste alone could supply more than 15
percent of our current natural gas demand if converted to
methane.
"As the largest gas distributor in the nation, SoCalGas is
positioned to make the infrastructure investments necessary to
maximize the production and use of renewable natural gas. We are
eager to partner with critical California industries like dairies, landfills,
and others to develop the biomethane pilot programs this law
requires, help build the market for renewable natural gas, and
continue helping to reduce black carbon emissions through our
natural gas vehicle program."
About SoCalGas
Southern California Gas
Co. has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its
customers for more than 145 years. It is the nation's largest
natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 21.6 million
consumers connected through 5.9 million meters in more than 500
communities. The company's service territory encompasses
approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and
Southern California, from
Visalia to the Mexican
border. Southern California Gas Co. is a regulated subsidiary
of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding
company based in San Diego.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company