700 diverse business leaders from 33 states
will have the opportunity to learn about $400 billion in federal procurement
opportunities; special guest Daymond
John
Media assets including videos and pictures
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LOS
ANGELES, April 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern
California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is hosting 700 diverse
business leaders from 33 states at the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) Office of Energy Justice and Equity's second annual Minority
Business Enterprise (MBE) Connect Summit on April 17-18, 2024, at the company's Energy
Resource Center (ERC) in Downey,
California. The summit, being held for the first time on the
West Coast, connects MBEs with the DOE and more than 40 other state
and federal agencies, prime government contractors, financial
institutions, private sector companies and nonprofit organizations
for learning, business opportunities and over 1,900 unique business
matchmaking sessions.
"We're here today to advance a mission that is incredibly
important to me, which is deepening the Department of Energy's work
with minority-owned businesses. It's a top priority for two simple
reasons: first, it's a smart thing to do, and then, it's the right
thing to do. It's of course the smart thing because the clean
energy transition is only going to succeed if it's led by
businesses like yours," said U.S. Secretary of Energy
Jennifer Granholm in a video
message to conference attendees. "We need your expertise, we need
your creativity, and, above all, we need your drive. I think
working more closely with minority-owned businesses is also the
right thing to do because the incredible economic opportunity of
clean energy doesn't mean much unless it's broadly shared."
"Partnering with diverse suppliers benefits local economies and
communities, strengthens the supply chain, and accelerates
America's clean energy transition," said Scott Drury, chief executive officer of
SoCalGas. "Our commitment to supplier diversity not only boosts
market competitiveness but also drives innovation."
Connect Summit participants will attend panels, workshops and
matchmaking meetings designed to create new business relationships
between MBEs and the U.S. Department of Energy. Other federal
agencies attending include the U.S. Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Defense, Interior, Labor, Transportation; the
Environmental Protection Agency; NASA; the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office; and the Small Business Administration. Summit
discussions will center around $400
billion in federal contract opportunities available to
MBEs.
The first day of the summit featured a fireside chat with
Maryam Brown, president of SoCalGas,
and Daymond John, CEO of the Shark Group, CEO and founder of
FUBU, a presidential ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, and
co-star of ABC's Shark Tank, that focused on how businesses can
make the right pitch to grow and amplify their brand.
Attendees also received a welcome from Vice President
Kamala Harris, who sent a
congratulatory letter to summit attendees. Link here.
The DOE selected SoCalGas to host the summit because of the
company's leadership in diverse spending through its
long-recognized Supplier Diversity Program. In 2023, SoCalGas
surpassed the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
Supplier Diversity Program goal for the 31st straight
year by working with 618 diverse firms and subcontractors with over
$1 billion spent, amounting to 44% of
the company's total procurement with women, minority, disabled
veteran, and LGBT-owned businesses. This achievement was reached
through the company's continuing efforts to help increase the pool
of diverse suppliers through broad outreach and education.
SoCalGas' ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy includes a
goal of achieving 45% spending with diverse business enterprises by
2025 and a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in
the company's operations and delivery of energy by 2045, as well as
goals related to safety, diversity, equity and inclusion, and
investment in underserved communities.
At the ERC, attendees can tour SoCalGas' H2 Innovation
Experience, an innovative microgrid with the first clean
hydrogen-powered microgrid and home model in North
America. The ERC was also the first building in California to receive Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) "green building" recognition and is a
model of advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive
building technology.
The MBE Connect Summit includes the U.S. Department of
Commerce's Los Angeles Minority Business Development Agency Center,
managed by the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE).
Sponsors include Primoris Service Corporation, Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power, Hal Hayes Construction Inc., and E2
Consulting Engineers Inc.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest gas
distribution utility in the United
States. SoCalGas aims to deliver affordable, reliable, and
increasingly renewable gas service to approximately 21 million
consumers across approximately 24,000 square miles of Central and
Southern California. We believe
gas delivered through our pipelines plays a key role in
California's clean energy
transition by supporting energy system reliability and resiliency
and enabling integration of renewable resources.
SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most
innovative energy infrastructure company in America. In support of
that mission, SoCalGas aspires to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas
emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045 and to
replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core
customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. RNG can be made
from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants.
SoCalGas is also investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while
working to keep bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a
subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure
company based in San Diego.
For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect
with SoCalGas on X (formerly Twitter) (@SoCalGas),
Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about the
future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees.
Future results may differ materially from those expressed or
implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking
statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the
date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
In this press release, forward-looking statements can be
identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend,"
"anticipate," "contemplate," "plan," "estimate," "project,"
"forecast," "envision," "should," "could," "would," "will,"
"confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "in
process," "construct," "develop," "opportunity," "preliminary,"
"initiative," "target," "outlook," "optimistic," "poised,"
"maintain," "continue," "progress," "advance," "goal," "aim,"
"commit," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our guidance,
priorities, strategy, goals, vision, mission, opportunities,
projections, intentions or expectations.
Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and
events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any
forward-looking statement include: decisions, investigations,
inquiries, regulations, denials or revocations of permits,
consents, approvals or other authorizations, renewals of
franchises, and other actions, including the failure to honor
contracts and commitments, by the (i) California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Internal Revenue
Service and other regulatory bodies and (ii) U.S. and states,
counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein where we do
business; the success of business development efforts and
construction projects, including risks related to (i) completing
construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget,
(ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if
completed, (iii) obtaining third-party consents and approvals, and
(iv) third parties honoring their contracts and commitments;
macroeconomic trends or other factors that could change our capital
expenditure plans and their potential impact on rate base or other
growth; litigation, arbitrations and other proceedings, and changes
to laws and regulations, including those related to tax and trade
policy; cybersecurity threats, including by state and
state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our
systems or the systems of third parties with which we conduct
business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure;
the availability, uses, sufficiency, and cost of capital resources
and our ability to borrow money on favorable terms and meet our
obligations, including due to (i) actions by credit rating agencies
to downgrade our credit ratings or place those ratings on negative
outlook, (ii) instability in the capital markets, or (iii) rising
interest rates and inflation; the impact on affordability of our
customer rates and our cost of capital and on our ability to pass
through higher costs to customers due to (i) volatility in
inflation, interest rates and commodity prices and (ii) the cost of
meeting the demand for lower carbon and reliable energy in
California; the impact of climate
and sustainability policies, laws, rules, regulations, disclosures
and trends, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on
natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory
environment for California natural
gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded
assets, and uncertainty related to relevant emerging and
early-stage technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics,
accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information
system outages or other events, such as work stoppages, that
disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the
release of harmful materials or fires or subject us to liability
for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be
recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may
impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable
insurance; the availability of natural gas and natural gas storage
capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline
system or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage
facilities; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to
predict and beyond our control.
These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the
reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the
EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov and
on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely
unduly on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra
Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC
(Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de
C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as
the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or
Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra
Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities,
Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company