Latest news with #SoCalGas
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The gas lobby is weakening Southern California's boldest clean-air plan in decades
On a windy night in early January, second-grade teacher Barbara Ishida spotted the Eaton Fire glowing in the hills behind her home in Altadena, California. Her mind turned to the deadly wildfires in Lahaina and Paradise and she thought, 'Let's get out — now.' Ishida and her husband evacuated safely, but the flames destroyed their home. An attribution study found that climate change, which is primarily caused by burning fossil fuels, made the January fires 35% more likely. Selling their burned lot would not earn enough money to afford another home elsewhere, Ishida said. She thought the least they could do is rebuild in a way that wouldn't compound the climate crisis that raised the fire risk. 'Building back is our only option at this point,' Ishida said, 'so we're going to build back super environmentally-friendly.' Her vision is to build a fire-resistant home with no gas appliances. That approach is backed by a University of California Berkeley study released in April that concluded all-electric construction is the fastest, most cost-effective and most climate-friendly strategy to rebuild after the fires. But the gas industry is pushing back against this idea. Proposed rules that would have encouraged Ishida and other homeowners to buy furnaces and heaters that emit no nitrogen oxides (NOx) — a key pollutant from gas appliances — have been weakened and delayed by a coalition of groups that includes SoCalGas, the country's largest gas utility and a monopoly gas company in Southern California. After a fierce opposition campaign, the rules are going to a vote on Friday, June 6. The rules are proposed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), the agency responsible for improving air quality in Los Angeles and nearby communities, one of the most polluted air basins in the United States. If passed, the rules are designed to create cleaner air and reduce planet-heating emissions by setting future targets for sales of new zero-emission space and water heaters. The rules would apply to manufacturers, distributors, sellers and installers. They are expected to prevent 2,490 premature deaths and avoid 10,200 asthma cases. 'Consumers will continue to have a choice of purchasing either a gas or electric space/water heaters when replacing their existing units,' explained Nahal Mogharabi, a spokesperson for the air-quality district. 'Importantly, consumers can continue to operate their existing units until the consumer chooses to replace it or the unit breaks.' SoCalGas defended its role in the opposition campaign. 'SoCalGas' stakeholder engagement and outreach efforts on this topic are a regular part of any rulemaking process where we share information that could affect Southern California customers,' SoCalGas spokesperson Erica Berardi wrote in an email. BizFed, a business group that was also part of the opposition campaign, advocated for a delay in the rule-making process 'to allow for more transparency and sufficient public outreach to make Southern Californians aware of the significant costs associated with these changes,' Elizabeth Daubel, communications director for BizFed, wrote in an email. At the same time that the opposition campaign ramped up, groups allied with the gas industry filed a lawsuit against the SCAQMD, aiming to undermine its authority to impose such regulations. The opposition is far from unique; a February report by London-based think tank InfluenceMap found that fossil fuel companies in the United States, European Union and Australia are waging parallel campaigns against laws that restrict use of gas in buildings — pushback that has largely succeeded in preventing and weakening these laws. Ishida signed a letter supporting the proposed SCAQMD rules because she believes they would encourage Altadena to build back in a sustainable way. When she heard about the organized opposition to the rules, Ishida felt angry. 'They're just putting profits over people. They're not thinking long term. They're thinking short term. And they're not thinking very well for the next generation,' she said. 'It's sad and it's selfish and it's not right.' Although progressive states like California are leading the transition away from fossil fuels, gas appliances remain ubiquitous in California homes and across the western United States. The SCAQMD is responsible for air quality in much of Los Angeles County, Orange County and the western portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties — a highly populated corner of the state. Buildings account for one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in California but are subject to local control, meaning that local regulators like the SCAQMD have a big role to play in lowering emissions. In 2023, recognizing the air pollution caused by gas appliances, the agency proposed amendments to two rules to encourage alternatives. Changes to Rules 1111 and 1121 would establish a zero-emission NOx standard for furnaces and water heaters. As originally written, the new rules would have impacted more than 10 million gas-fired residential and commercial furnaces and residential water heaters. The rules would not affect gas stoves, a flashpoint in similar regulatory efforts. The way they were written in October 2024, the proposed rules would have required that all furnaces and water heaters installed become zero-emission by 2026 for new residential and commercial buildings. Existing buildings and mobile homes had a few more years to comply. But in recent months, SCAQMD staff have softened the proposed rules. The current version now requires manufacturers to meet zero-emission sales targets for residential buildings, starting at 30% in 2027-28 and rising to 90% by 2036. The rule no longer requires that all new furnaces and water heaters be zero-emission by a certain date. The original rules would have reduced NOx emissions by 10 tons per day, which would have been the largest emission reducing rule package adopted in over three decades by the SCAQMD. The revised rules would achieve a reduction of 6 tons per day of NOx emissions. Kim Orbe, senior conservation program manager at Sierra Club, said pushing back the compliance date would allow manufacturers to continue building gas-powered equipment for years to come. She believes the weakened rules are not sending a strong enough signal to manufacturers to develop more heat pumps and other clean alternatives. '(Lobbyists) have slowed down that transition where it was supposed to be a zero emission rule,' Orbe said. 'So now it's not a zero emission rule. Now it's been tremendously weakened.' For the past two years, the draft rules have wound their way through a process to gather public feedback, including from impacted businesses like SoCalGas. The company sells methane, also known as natural gas, and has a history of lobbying hard against regulations that hurt its bottom line. In late 2024, an opposition campaign sprung up to push back against the rule changes. SCAQMD's board had originally scheduled a hearing on the rules for Dec. 6, but opposition groups raised concerns about public outreach and awareness, so staff sought additional input. The final board hearing and vote on the rules was pushed back by six months, to June 6, 2025. SoCalGas and groups aligned with the company helped delay the rulemaking process by encouraging public officials to oppose the rules, according to records obtained by the Energy and Policy Institute and shared with Floodlight. Ahead of a major SCAQMD meeting on Dec. 20, SoCalGas employees sent 'urgent' requests to public officials, including mayors of cities in the South Coast area, asking them to send letters, testify and pass resolutions opposing the rules. BizFed joined in the opposition. Their emails claimed — misleadingly — that the rules would prohibit the sale and installation of all gas furnaces and water heaters. On Dec. 9, a SoCalGas employee emailed a member of the Ontario City Council to encourage her to testify at the meeting, sending along SoCalGas talking points. The council member attended the meeting and testified against the rules. On Dec. 16, an official from the city of Lake Elsinore submitted a letter to the SCAQMD opposing the rules. The official then forwarded the letter to a SoCalGas employee who replied, 'Wow! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!' A day later, another SoCalGas employee emailed an official from the city of Norco, asking her to testify or submit a letter opposing the rules. He also sent her a sample letter. City officials replied with the opposition letter he had asked for. Some of the letters that SCAQMD received from public officials were drafted by a consultant working for BizFed. Several city governments copied the consultant's draft letter onto their letterhead. Almost word-for-word letters were sent to the SCAQMD by the Orange County Council of Governments, the city of Lake Forest and the city of Loma Linda. The consultant also sent elected officials a draft resolution that city councils could pass asking the SCAQMD to 'delay or cease' consideration of the rules. Loma Linda officials added the resolution to the City Council meeting agenda. At its Jan. 14 meeting, the city council passed the resolution opposing the rules. The response to the rules was overwhelming, generating over 12,500 comments. But staff reported that many letters opposing the rules contained faulty information, including that the rules would mandate homeowners switch to all-electric appliances. In response, staff released a 'myths versus facts' explainer on what the rules would do. The governing board delayed the vote and modified the rules to give more time for public outreach, and 'in response to concerns raised by stakeholders about cost, technology availability and consumer choice,' agency spokesperson Mogharabi wrote in an email. 'Even though the rule has been modified, as is typical during the rulemaking process, the current NOx reductions are significant,' she added. She noted that this summer, the agency is launching a Go Zero rebate program that will provide more than $21 million to help residents and small businesses install zero-emission heating appliances. Mogharabi said SCAQMD staff were not aware that BizFed, SoCalGas and others had emailed public officials to encourage them to submit letters, testify and pass resolutions opposing the rules. On Jan. 10, as unprecedented megafires burned out of control in Los Angeles — destroying thousands of homes and killing 30 people — SCAQMD officials held a public meeting to consider the proposed rules 1111 and 1121. The tone of the meeting was somber. Officials began by acknowledging the wildfires and smoke cloaking the city, offering condolences to a board member who lost his home to the flames. Minutes later, lobbyists including a representative of SoCalGas asked for the rules to be delayed or retracted, citing an active lawsuit that challenged the SCAQMD's authority to make such rules. Whitney Squire, CEO of the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of California, said, 'We strongly urge the board to retract these additional proposed rules or at least postpone their implementation until the litigation reaches its conclusion.' She added, 'These rules, which effectively ban gas appliances, would pose significant financial burdens and disrupt the lives of countless individuals.' SoCalGas lobbyist Jessi Davis also spoke at the meeting. 'We think it would be prudent for the board to postpone this rulemaking until these issues are resolved by the courts,' she said. In December, as staff were receiving pushback to rules 1111 and 1121, a coalition of groups filed a lawsuit against the SCAQMD, seeking to overturn a related rule that phases out large gas-fired furnaces and water heaters in commercial and industrial facilities. The plaintiffs include the National Association of Home Builders, the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors of California and the California Restaurant Association. Other plaintiffs include Rinnai America Corp., which manufactures gas heaters, and unions representing pipefitters. SoCalGas is not a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The lawsuit aims to block enforcement of Rule 1146.2, which imposed a zero-emissions standard on large industrial boilers and water heaters. The lawsuit argues the rule is invalid under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). That rule is different from the proposed rules, which are specific to smaller residential and commercial furnaces and water heaters. The lawsuit cites a previous court ruling that favored the gas industry. In 2019, the California Restaurant Association sued the city of Berkeley, arguing that its ban on gas in new buildings violated EPCA. The case was appealed up to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which sided with the plaintiffs and barred Berkeley from imposing its gas ban. In that case, the Reichman Jorgensen law firm represented the California Restaurant Association. As the firm fought the case, SoCalGas paid Reichman Jorgensen more than $4 million between 2020 and 2022, The Sacramento Bee reported. In the new lawsuit filed in December, one of the firms representing industry plaintiffs is Reichman Jorgensen. SoCalGas denied funding either the Berkeley lawsuit or the lawsuit related to Rule 1146.2. The new lawsuit poses a threat to SCAQMD's authority, according to Adrian Martinez, an attorney at Earthjustice, an environmental nonprofit that is intervening in the case. He said the plaintiffs are attempting to apply the Berkeley decision to the South Coast air-quality agency. 'The legal theories they're trying to push would undermine the ability of the (agency) to protect its residents,' he said. 'They're attempting to strip local entities like SCAQMD of the ability to clean up pollution.' Martinez, who attended the meeting, said the gas industry has the right to advocate for its position, but doing so during a climate emergency was 'morally reprehensible.' SCAQMD declined to comment on the pending litigation. As she considered how to rebuild in an environmentally-friendly way, Ishida received an email from SoCalGas offering to reconnect her gas service. Ishida has no plans to do that. 'We need to make it more available and easy for people to build back all-electric,' she said. With another wildfire season on the horizon, she is thinking about the future of Los Angeles. 'We're not going to be the only community that burns,' Ishida said. 'We're not going to be the last if we continue down this stretch.' Floodlight is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powerful interests stalling climate action.
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
SoCal Gas begins work to restore natural gas services to residents in Rancho Palos Verdes
Crews from SoCal Gas will begin work to restore natural gas to hundreds of residents in the Rancho Palos Verdes area, a year after services were shut off. After nearly a year of not having natural gas, residents can see the finish line getting closer. In July 2024, the utility company SoCal Gas cut off natural gas service to the Portuguese Bend community of Rancho Palos Verdes after continued land movement in the area. In September 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the area, saying severe storms had significantly accelerated land movement to an average of 9 to 12 inches per week. The city also declared a local emergency and issued evacuation warnings urging residents to gather important documents and items. Last summer, Mayor John Cruikshank said he was worried the gas service would be the first domino to fall, a prediction that ended up being correct. Crews were seen Friday morning digging into the ground so they can install new equipment and infrastructure. Once they complete that, they will go door to door and start restoring natural gas service to homes. There are some properties in the areas that were red or yellow tagged and are too badly damaged to have service restored. SoCal Gas said there are about 22 customers who should get their services back by July. A spokesperson from the utility company said thy are doing upgrades to make sure they're able to adjust to changing conditions. "We're installing automatic shutoff valves, monitoring, reassessing and figure out where to go from there," Brian Haas, a SoCal Gas spokesperson, said. Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of homeowners in Rancho Palos Verdes who are dealing with the ongoing land movement. Some people have chosen to leave, taking advantage of a $42 million voluntary buyout program from FEMA and the state of California. SoCal Gas has said it does appear the land movement has slowed in some areas like Seaview, Portuguese Bend Beach Club and Rolling Hills. Crews will continue monitoring other areas to see if it's safe to bring back utilities there too.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Gas service to be restored in some Palos Verdes communities impacted by land movement
As landslide movement on the Palos Verdes Peninsula has slowed, Southern California Gas Co. is restoring natural gas service to some areas where the utility was cut last year out of safety concerns. In 2024, accelerating landslide movement wreaked havoc in some communities on the peninsula, damaging homes, cutting off utility services, and even forcing some residents in impacted areas to relocate. The Portuguese Bend Landslide has impacted about 650 homes and is considered an ongoing natural disaster. Beginning Tuesday, SoCalGas will begin upgrading and testing its infrastructure in the Seaview area of Rancho Palos Verdes to complete gas restoration for homeowners who request it. The restoration of natural gas to the Seaview community is expected to take four to five weeks. The city of Rancho Palos Verdes noted that red-tagged and yellow-tagged properties will not be considered for restoration. "We are grateful to these communities for their patience during what we know has been a difficult time," said Maria Martinez, director of gas engineering for SoCalGas in a statement. "Given the sustained decreases in land movement, we look forward to the safe restoration of natural gas service for those who are ready to reconnect." The land movement in the Seaview, Portuguese Bend Beach Club, and Rolling Hills communities has drastically slowed since October 2024. The utility company reported that extensive monitoring over the past seven months shows that land movement in these communities is now minimal, with no measurable land movement in Seaview and Portuguese Bend Beach Club since February. Additional safety equipment, such as automatic shut-off valves is part of the upgrade to SoCalGas infrastructure. The restoration of natural gas services does not include the Portuguese Bend Community Association neighborhood, according to the city of Rancho Palos Verdes. Related: FEMA, Cal OES announce $42 million voluntary buyout program to Rancho Palos Verdes homeowners impacted by land movement
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
SoCalGas to begin restoration process for Rancho Palos Verdes neighborhood
After roughly eight months, the first homes in Rancho Palos Verdes could have their natural gas service restored by July. The restoration process will begin on May 27 in the Seaview neighborhood, specifically homes on Dauntless Exultant and Admirable Drives, according to the utility company SoCalGas. The process is expected to finish in about four to five weeks. Once completed, SoCalGas crews will evaluate the homes along Palos Verdes Drive South and determine if they can restore services to residents there. The utility company added that engineers are developing designs and plans to restore service to Portuguese Bend Beach Club communities and Rolling Hills. "We are grateful to these communities for their patience during what we know has been a difficult time," said Maria Martinez, director of gas engineering. "Given the sustained decreases in land movement, we look forward to the safe restoration of natural gas service for those who are ready to reconnect." Over the last two years, land movement has severely damaged roads, homes and utilities in Rancho Palos Verdes, eventually leading the region's major natural gas and electricity providers to shut off their services to hundreds of residents. Since August, the Portuguese Bend slide has impacted about 650 homes. The ongoing natural disaster prompted FEMA and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services to implement a $42 million voluntary buyout program, allowing residents to sell their homes at "fair market value." In October, geologists gave residents a small glimmer of hope after confirming that the slide had decelerated from an average of 13 inches a week to 8 inches, a roughly 38% decrease. Further studies conducted by researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory showed that the movement slowed to about 4 inches a week in the fall of 2024. SoCalGas stressed that if land movement increases in the future, the company may be forced to shut off services again. For more information about the restoration process, click here.
Los Angeles Times
19-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
SoCalGas Announces First Renewable Natural Gas Contract Approved Under California Program
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) has announced via press release that it has executed a contract with Organic Energy Solutions (OES) to procure renewable natural gas (RNG) converted from organic waste and inject it into SoCalGas' pipeline system. The contract is the first approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) under Senate Bill (SB) 1440, which sets specific RNG procurement targets for the state's natural gas utilities. The RNG will be sourced from a project located in the city of San Bernardino and is an important step toward achieving California's goal to reduce methane emissions from agriculture and waste while advancing energy decarbonization in the state. SB 1440 is recognized as the nation's first renewable gas standard and led the CPUC to set goals for the procurement of RNG, also known as biomethane, which is made from the organic waste of wastewater treatment plants, dairies, landfills, agricultural practices and forestry residues. Depending on its source, RNG can be carbon negative, meaning it captures more greenhouse gases than it emits. SoCalGas aims to replace approximately 12% of the traditional natural gas it delivers to residential and small business customers with RNG by 2030, pursuant to the targets that have been established under SB 1440 by the CPUC. The new RNG standard is expected to help the state achieve its goal to reduce methane emissions by 40% by 2030. 'As the first RNG procurement project under California's renewable gas standard, this contract represents an important milestone for the RNG industry and SoCalGas as we work together to advance California's energy goals,' said Elsa Valay-Paz, vice president of gas acquisition at SoCalGas. 'By converting waste that would otherwise end up in landfills into usable energy, this project is intended to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and help California reach its climate goals.' 'At OES, we are proud to unite with SoCalGas on this groundbreaking renewable natural gas project, which marks a significant step forward in California's transition to cleaner energy. By converting organic waste into a valuable energy resource, we aim to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also create a more sustainable and resilient energy future,' said Brian Hume, senior vice president of operations for BioStar Renewables, owner of OES. 'This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation in waste-to-energy solutions and our shared vision for a cleaner, more sustainable California.' OES, a company specializing in biomass processing and fuel production, will collect organic waste – a source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – from local industrial and food waste and process it in an anaerobic digester which speeds up natural decomposition. Methane emissions from the decomposition process are captured and converted into RNG, which will then be injected into the SoCalGas pipeline system. The project is expected to begin supplying RNG to SoCalGas' system in the second half of 2026. 'SoCalGas' progress toward RNG procurement targets established under California's SB 1440 will be watched closely by counterparts and policymakers in other U.S. states, with the potential for agreements like these to create a powerful precedent for lasting energy system change,' said Sam Wade, vice president of public policy for RNG Coalition. 'RNG is an innovative climate solution that converts methane emissions from organic waste into a low-carbon replacement for fossil fuels, making it a cleaner fit for long-term decarbonization plans at the utility level.' Information for this article was sourced from PR Newswire.
