This week SoCalGas received the 2021 NGV Achievement Award in the Utility Leadership category. The award, which NGVAmerica presented at its annual industry summit, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of natural gas as a transportation fuel.
For over 30 years, SoCalGas has worked to help advance the use of alternative fuels in the transportation industry by offering public CNG fueling stations at most of its operating bases. As of 2020, all 16 of SoCalGas’ fueling stations have dispensed renewable natural gas (RNG). Last year, over 92% of natural gas trucks in California were fueled by renewable gas delivered by SoCalGas pipelines, some of which were facilitated through SoCalGas base stations.
“We thank NGVAmerica for recognizing our efforts in advancing the alternative fuels transportation industry with this year’s NGV Achievement Award,” said Rasha Prince, director of customer energy solutions at SoCalGas. “Our commitment to reducing emissions from the transportation sector continues to be a focus as we work towards our goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and delivery of energy by 2045.”
Currently, more than 1,000 of SoCalGas’ vehicles are powered by RNG and over 400 units are alternatively fueled via solar, electric, hybrid, propane, and renewable natural gas. Earlier this year SoCalGas announced plans to convert 200 Ford F-250 service pick-up trucks to run on RNG. With the addition of these trucks, nearly 40% of SoCalGas' fleet will be operating on clean fuels.
SoCalGas’ support for alternative fuels goes beyond its own fleet. In April, SoCalGas partnered with the SunLine Transit Agency to test two technologies that will produce hydrogen from renewable natural gas at SunLine Transit Agency’s hydrogen fueling station in Thousand Palms, California. The research project, called “H2 SilverSTARS,” will produce renewable hydrogen to fuel SunLine’s fleet of 17 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses.
In addition, SoCalGas has worked with fleet owners to secure millions of dollars in incentive funding to replace diesel trucks with cleaner, new near-zero emissions natural gas trucks. Each new natural gas truck that replaces a traditional diesel truck is the equivalent of taking 57 passenger cars off the road for one year.
