Socalgas achieves important milestone in advancing proposed Angeles Link green hydrogen infrastructure system.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved Southern California Gas Co.’s (SoCalGas’) request to track costs for advancing the first phase of Angeles Link, a proposed green hydrogen pipeline system that could deliver clean, reliable, renewable energy to the Los Angeles region.
As envisioned, Angeles Link could be the nation’s largest green hydrogen pipeline system and support significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electric generation, industrial processes, heavy-duty trucks, and other hard-to-electrify sectors of the Southern California economy.
In a final decision, the CPUC declared, “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 California’s application for a share of $8 billion in available federal funds to support regional hydrogen hubs.
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Scott Drury, SoCalGas Chief Executive Officer, said:
California has some of the boldest climate and clean air goals in the nation.
“The proposed Angeles Link aligns SoCalGas’ scale, 150 years of expertise in service, and our highly skilled workforce with the clean energy and environmental policies that will shape this century.”
“As the CPUC’s decision highlights, Angeles Link has the potential to support decarbonization for hard-to-electrify sectors of our economy, improve our air quality, bring new economic opportunities as well as sustain and grow skilled jobs to our region.”
Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera), California Senator said:
As the chair of the California Senate Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy, it is my goal to help California continue serving as a national and global leader in clean hydrogen development so we can reach our clean energy and zero emission vehicle goals.
“This decision on Angeles Link by the CPUC advances California’s leadership on hydrogen and better positions the state to secure billions in federal funding opportunities via ARCHES.”
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 industries, Angeles Link’s green hydrogen 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 renewable 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.
Over time and combined with other future clean energy projects, Angeles Link could also help reduce natural gas demand served by the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, facilitating its ultimate retirement, while continuing reliable and affordable energy service to the region.
Consensus Grows: Clean Renewable Hydrogen Key to Reaching California’s, Nation’s Climate Goals
There is growing recognition among experts and policymakers that a broad set of tools will be needed to achieve California’s climate and clean air goals by mid-century, including electrification, clean fuels like renewable natural gas and clean renewable hydrogen, and carbon management.
The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB’s) recent Scoping Plan calls for scaling up, “new options such as renewable hydrogen for hard-to-electrify end uses” in its roadmap to decarbonize California. The federal government has also signaled that clean renewable hydrogen will play a key role in a clean-energy future, with billions of dollars in funding becoming available to develop clean renewable hydrogen hubs.
The Angeles Link project could extend California’s position as a leader on clean energy well into the future, while potentially helping to attract billions of dollars in new investment and maintaining and creating thousands of skilled jobs.
Gene Seroka, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director said:
Green hydrogen is an important pathway to reach our goal of zero-emissions cargo operations at the Port.
“The Port and our terminal partners have five active hydrogen demonstration projects and, ultimately, Angeles Link can play a key role in providing green hydrogen at the scale needed to achieve our zero-emissions and decarbonization goals by 2030.”
Ernie Shaw, President UWUA Local 483, AFL-CIO, said:
This decision demonstrates that California is a clear leader in paving the way for clean energy infrastructure while ensuring good union jobs for members like Utility Workers Local 483 and our union brothers and sisters alike.
Rodney Cobos of the Southern California Pipe Trades Council, said:
For the tens of thousands of skilled workers who build California’s natural gas system, green hydrogen represents real and meaningful opportunities to participate in the state’s clean energy transition.
“California’s energy workers are among the most skilled and experienced in the nation, and it’s important that they are ready and prepared to build the hydrogen infrastructure that projects like Angeles Link will facilitate. That’s why we’re glad to see that studying workforce planning and training will be a critical component of Angeles Link’s next phase.”
Jan Smutny Jones of Independent Energy Producers, said:
Green hydrogen looks promising as a form of long-duration energy storage that could enhance electric system reliability and as a fuel that can help California reach its net zero-carbon goals for industrial end uses that currently have no practical alternatives to the use of natural gas.”
“Establishing the memorandum account is a critical first step toward determining whether green hydrogen can supplement or replace natural gas and reduce carbon emissions from end uses that are hard to electrify.”
Katrina M. Fritz, Executive Director of the California Hydrogen Business Council, said:
The California Hydrogen Business Council is pleased with the California Public Utilities Commission decision to allow SoCalGas to begin incurring costs to study the feasibility of a purpose-built hydrogen pipeline.
“A common carrier pipeline would ensure transparent market access for hydrogen producers at all scales. The growth of this market is a necessary pathway for California to achieve deep decarbonization, as outlined in the recent update to the California Air Resources Board 2022 Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality.”
Kathryn Barger, who represents Los Angeles County’s Fifth Supervisorial District,, said:
Angeles Link is a robust project that will significantly reduce the need for fossil-based natural gas and Aliso Canyon in Los Angeles.
“I support efforts to move feasible projects forward that reduce emissions and the need for Aliso Canyon without jeopardizing grid reliability – or the good jobs and important businesses – that depend on the natural gas system. Angeles Link is a win-win for Los Angeles businesses and residents.”
Laura Parkan, Vice President, Hydrogen Energy Americas for Air Liquide N.A.
A hydrogen infrastructure project of this scale could help catalyze the market for clean hydrogen in California and across the Western United States.
“Our Nevada facility – currently the largest liquid hydrogen plant in the world – is already supplying the California transportation market, so a project of this scale will be another significant step forward for our hydrogen future.”
Tracy Hernandez, Founding CEO of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), said:
Hydrogen is creating the next infrastructure boom in the U.S.
“Estimates show green hydrogen alone could generate approximately $140 billion in revenue and support 700,000 jobs nationally by 2030. Angeles Link better positions Los Angeles to capture that revenue and benefit from those jobs.”
Craig Scott, Group Manager in Toyota’s Fuel Cell Solutions Group, said:
Projects like the Angeles Link are vital to broader adoption of zero emission technologies across the state.
“Securing reliable and affordable supplies of green hydrogen allows companies like Toyota to develop next generation hydrogen fuel cell technologies for use in a variety of applications, such as our fuel cell electric vehicle powertrain for heavy-duty transport.”
Matt Schrap, CEO of Harbor Trucking Association, said:
Securing a reliable and affordable supply of green hydrogen into the Los Angeles region, paired with more funding for zero emissions heavy-duty truck technology conversion, would enable more truck fleet owners and operators to transition their vehicles.
“This decision by the CPUC to advance the Angeles Link is a crucial step towards making the transition a reality.”
Growing Portfolio of Sustainability, Hydrogen Innovation
SoCalGas is a leader in sustainability, having announced its aim to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. It is the first large natural gas utility in the United States to do so.
As part of SoCalGas’ net-zero strategy, the company is developing an industry-leading portfolio of clean fuels demonstration projects with collaborators from private industry, the US Department of Energy and California Energy Commission, and leading research institutions such as the University of California, Irvine, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. More than a dozen hydrogen pilot projects are already underway across the company.
In September, SoCalGas announced a proposed collaboration with the University of California, Irvine, to demonstrate how electrolytic hydrogen can be safely blended into existing natural gas infrastructure on the university’s campus – an important next step in establishing a statewide injection standard for renewable hydrogen.
SoCalGas is also constructing a clean renewable hydrogen microgrid as part of its [H2] Innovation Experience. The [H2] Innovation Experience is a proof-of-concept project for resilient, clean energy using an electrolyzer to convert solar energy to clean renewable hydrogen and a fuel cell to supply electricity to a home, neighborhood, or campus community – independent of the electric grid.
Earlier this month, the project was awarded the U.S. Green Building Council – Los Angeles’ (USGBC-LA) Sustainable Innovation Award which recognized SoCalGas’ commitments to sustainability through projects that demonstrate exemplary performance. The project was also named a World-Changing Idea in North America by Fast Company in 2021.
Angeles Link – Phase One and Next Steps
The CPUC’s approval of SoCalGas’ Angeles Link memorandum account application allows the company to track costs of performing Phase One feasibility studies for the project.
Phase One activities include preliminary engineering, design, along with studies of supply, demand, possible end users, pipeline configuration and storage solutions, environmental considerations, workforce planning and training, robust stakeholder outreach, and an analysis of project alternatives.
“We’re excited to have reached this important milestone and are grateful to the Commission 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 renewable hydrogen economy,” Drury said.
“We look 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 the Angeles Link proposal from the start.”
For the latest information about Angeles Link, visit https://www.socalgas.com/angeleslink.
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company’s pipelines will continue to play a key role in California’s clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment.
SoCalGas’ mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most innovative energy 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 replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030.
Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure company based in San Diego.
California Regulator Determines:
- Angeles Link, “has the potential to decarbonize the state’s and the Los Angeles Basin’s energy use.”
- “Public interest is served if SoCalGas begins conducting a feasibility study of the Project immediately.”
- SoCalGas to join members of the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) in support of the State of California’s application for historic federal funds to support regional hydrogen hubs
SoCalGas Achieves Important Milestone in Advancing Proposed Angeles Link Green Hydrogen Infrastructure System, LOS ANGELES, December 16, 2022
