Pacific Enterprises

Southern California Gas Company
	File:SoCalGas logo.webp
Trade name	SoCalGas
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Utilities
Founded	Template:Sda
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, United States
Key people	Maryam Brown (CEO)
Products	Natural Gas
Parent	Sempra
Website	www.socalgas.com

The Southern California Gas Company, operating under the name SoCalGas, is a utility firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California and functions as a subsidiary of Sempra. It stands as the leading natural gas supplier for Los Angeles and the broader Southern California region.

Overview

SoCalGas is based in the Gas Company Tower located in downtown Los Angeles and provides service to around 21.6 million customers across an area spanning nearly 20,000 square miles, extending from Visalia down to the border with Mexico. Gas distribution within San Diego County is managed by its affiliated company, San Diego Gas & Electric, while smaller segments of Southern California are served by Southwest Gas and the Long Beach Gas & Oil Department.

The company delivers natural gas to all or portions of the following counties:

History

Established in 1867 under the name Los Angeles Gas Company, SoCalGas initially focused on installing gas lamps along Main Street. The company originally produced gas derived from asphalt and oil but shifted its focus from lighting to heating and cooking applications after the introduction of electric lighting in 1879. In 1890, Pacific Enterprises (formerly Pacific Lighting) acquired Los Angeles Gas Company along with other regional entities, laying the groundwork for what is now Southern California Gas Company.

The discovery of the Buena Vista Oil Field near Taft in 1909 brought an abundant supply of natural gas. Recognizing that natural gas offered a higher heating value than manufactured gas, the company converted its infrastructure to accommodate natural gas and expanded pipeline networks across the state. To address increasing demand, SoCalGas pioneered underground storage of natural gas in 1941 by utilizing depleted oil and gas reservoirs. As of 2016, it operated four such storage facilities: Aliso Canyon (the largest), Honor Rancho, La Goleta, and Playa del Rey.

Currently serving more than 19.5 million individuals via approximately 5.5 million meters across over 530 communities, SoCalGas ranks as the largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States. Its service area covers about 23,000 square miles of Central and Southern California territory stretching from south of Sanger to the Mexican border. As a subsidiary of Sempra—a Fortune 500 company headquartered in San Diego—SoCalGas maintains a significant regional footprint.

In late 2012, SoCalGas initiated its Advanced Meter Installation (AMI) Project aimed at upgrading over six million meters with smart communication technology to enable automated consumption reporting. This initiative was backed by a $1.05 billion budget approved by the California Public Utilities Commission and targeted completion by 2017.

On March 6, 2019, SoCalGas revealed its objective to substitute 20% of its conventional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by the year 2030. The company’s goal is to become North America’s cleanest natural gas utility by progressively increasing renewable energy delivery. As part of this commitment, SoCalGas collaborated with startup Twelve to transform CO₂ extracted from raw biogas into methane fuel.

Environmental impact

In October 2015, a methane leak emerged from the underground Aliso Canyon storage facility, releasing gas uncontrollably. By December, thousands of residents from Porter Ranch had been temporarily displaced, with the leak having discharged over 150 million pounds of methane. The Environmental Defense Fund characterized the incident as "unprecedented in California," equating its emissions to those produced by 7 million automobiles or the output of 8 to 9 coal-fired power plants. The climate effect over a 20-year period is comparable to burning one billion gallons of gasoline. This event has been identified as "the most significant environmental catastrophe since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill."

The company has advocated for integrating biogas into current natural gas pipelines; however, California regulators contend that biogas is more appropriately utilized in sectors that are difficult to electrify, including aviation, heavy manufacturing, and long-distance trucking.

Pipelines

1944: To address a gas shortage crisis, Southern Counties Gas Company constructed a 36-mile stretch of 16-inch pipeline extending from the La Goleta Gas Field to the Venture compressor station, along with a dehydration facility in Ventura. Concurrently, Southern California Gas Company built 66 miles of 18-inch and 12 miles of 22-inch pipelines between Ventura and Los Angeles, boosting Goleta’s capacity from 60 million to 200 million cubic feet.

Texas-California Pipe Line (1947): A 214-mile pipeline with a diameter of 30 inches was established from Blythe to Santa Fe Springs in partnership with Southern Counties Gas Company, linking to El Paso Natural Gas Company's network. Originally designed as a 26-inch line, it was upgraded to support up to 405 million cubic feet per day following expansions. The California section cost $16.2 million, while El Paso’s segment amounted to $53.8 million. The pipeline commenced operations in November 1947 and reached a maximum throughput of 325 million cubic feet per day by March 1950.

- Additional pipeline segments include:
- Operation of a 10-mile, 26-inch segment between Santa Fe Springs and Spence Street station.
- 8.3 miles of 30-inch pipeline connecting Rivera and Garvey (in collaboration with Southern Counties Gas Co.) and 4 miles exclusively between Garvey and Alhambra.
- 88 miles of 30-inch looping pipeline extending from Whitewater to near Montebello along part of the Texas-California Pipeline, enhancing capacity between Blythe and Los Angeles to 405 million cubic feet daily.
- 15 miles of 30-inch pipe running from Rivera to a regulating station located at Slauson Boulevard and Western Avenue.

Imperial Valley Pipeline (1948): This branch spans 73 miles with an 8-inch diameter, running from the Texas-California Line near Desert Center to Calexico. It was projected to achieve a capacity of 16 million cubic feet per day within five years. The estimated investment was $1.15 million; authorization was granted in June 1948 and construction finalized by December.

Moreno Pipeline: A section measuring 35 miles within Riverside County is part of an overall 85-mile, 16-inch pipeline connecting with the Texas-California Line near Moreno. This project by Southern Counties Gas Company offers a capacity of 40 million cubic feet per day for transporting El Paso out-of-state natural gas. Authorization occurred in May 1949; an additional segment extends approximately 50 miles into San Diego County.

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