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SoCalGas is excited to announce that on December 15, 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved its request to track costs for advancing the first phase Angeles Link, a proposed green hydrogen pipeline system that could deliver clean, reliable, renewable energy to the Los Angeles region. SoCalGas is grateful to the CPUC and to leaders from labor, environmental organizations, government, and the private sector who are working together on the critical building blocks of California’s clean hydrogen economy.
Proposed in February of this year, Angeles Link would serve hard-to-electrify industries like dispatchable electric generation, heavy-duty trucking and industrial processes. As contemplated, Angeles Link would deliver green hydrogen in an amount equivalent to almost 25% of the natural gas SoCalGas delivers today. In serving those hard-to-electrify sectors of the economy, Angeles Link could:
- Displace up to 3 million gallons of diesel fuel per day, or 1 billion gallons annually, and enable conversion of up to four natural gas power plants to run on clean hydrogen.
- Eliminate nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) equal to removing 3.1 million cars off the road annually.
- Generate billions of dollars in new clean energy investments in the LA Basin and create thousands of new union jobs.
The Phase One activities will include preliminary engineering and design, studies on supply, demand, possible end users, pipeline configuration and storage solutions, environmental considerations, workforce planning and training, robust stakeholder engagement, and an analysis of project alternatives.
In its final decision, the CPUC stated, “the public interest is served if SoCalGas begins conducting a feasibility study of the Project immediately.” The agency also asked SoCalGas to join members of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) in support of the State of California’s application for a share of $8 billion in available federal funds to support regional clean hydrogen hubs.
This decision is an important milestone for Angeles Link and speaks to the growing consensus among policy makers and experts that clean fuels will play a significant role in California’s clean energy transition. California has some of the boldest climate and clean air goals in the nation, and Angeles Link aligns SoCalGas’ scale, 150 years of expertise in service, and its highly skilled workforce with the clean energy and environmental policies that will shape this century.
SoCalGas is a leader in sustainability, having announced its aim to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045—the first large natural gas utility in the United States to do so. As part of SoCalGas’ ASPIRE 2045 Sustainability Strategy, the company is developing an industry-leading portfolio of clean fuels demonstration projects with partners from private industry and the public sector. More than a dozen hydrogen pilot projects are already underway across the company.
SoCalGas looks forward to supporting California in its application for federal hydrogen hub funding and continuing the robust, transparent, and collaborative engagement process that has been a hallmark of Angeles Link from the start.
