Over $1 billion spent
with minority, women, disabled veteran, and/or LGBT-owned
businesses; nearly 87% of businesses based in
California
LOS
ANGELES, March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
SoCalGas announced the company exceeded the 2023 California Public
Utilities Commission's (CPUC) diverse spending goal* for a
31st consecutive year, purchasing over 44% of all goods
and services from 618 diverse suppliers – enterprises owned by
minorities, women, LGBT individuals, and disabled veterans,
according to the company's annual Supplier Diversity Report
submitted recently to the CPUC. This achievement was reached
through the company's continuing efforts to help increase the pool
of diverse suppliers through broad outreach and education.
"As SoCalGas advances its mission to build the cleanest, safest,
most innovative energy infrastructure company in America, we are
proud that our supplier network reflects the diversity of the
customers we serve," said Scott
Drury, CEO of SoCalGas. "With so many diverse business
enterprises in California, we are
committed to expanding opportunity as we advance cleaner energy
innovations. Our strong supplier diversity program increases
competitiveness, enhances innovation, and supports our
customers."
"As the Department of Energy prepares to invest billions of
dollars in the nation's energy infrastructure, there is a
monumental opportunity for minority businesses to engage in
contracts and grants. SoCalGas serves as a leading example in its
ongoing partnerships and commitment to fostering and encouraging
diverse business enterprises to become eligible suppliers of
products and services, which resulted in 44% ($1.02 billion) of its annual spend with diverse
suppliers last year. These dollars have a significant impact in
helping small businesses grow and in job creation across diverse
communities," said Shalaya
Morissette, Chief, Minority Business and Workforce Division,
U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Justice and
Equity.
Over the last seven years, SoCalGas has spent nearly
$6 billion with diverse business
enterprises.
"With a record of surpassing the state's supplier diversity
goals for 31 consecutive years, SoCalGas has demonstrated a strong
commitment to championing diverse businesses. While there is still
more work to be done, their partnerships with diverse businesses,
from mom-and-pop catering enterprises to construction firms,
have created opportunities, jobs and a positive impact that is
vital to California's economy,"
said Senator Steven
Bradford.
2023 report highlights:
- 618 diverse suppliers worked with SoCalGas
- 86.9% of diverse business suppliers based in
California
- 2,693 businesses received technical assistance
- 152 new diverse firms, totaling $54 million
- $716 million Minority Business Enterprises (MBE)
– exceeded CPUC's 15% (about $347
million) minority business enterprise MBE goal for the
25th straight year
- $229 million Women Business Enterprises (WBE) –
surpassed CPUC's goal 5% (about $116
million) for 36th consecutive year
- $74 million Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises
(DVBE) – up 34.5% from 2022
- $277 million Diverse
Subcontracting
"Our company has provided construction services since 1991,
working on major projects throughout the state. As a proud Native
American owned business and a certified Minority Business
Enterprise, working with companies like SoCalGas allows us to
continue expanding our projects and supporting infrastructure that
directly impacts California
residents," said Kirby Hays,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Hal Hays Construction
Inc.
"BuildOUT California, the LGBTQ+ community's first construction
industry association, shares SoCalGas' mission to expand
opportunities for diverse businesses throughout the state. By
developing partnerships with small, diverse businesses, we uplift
communities leading their industries," said Paul Pendergast, President of BuildOUT
California.
"The Veterans in Business Network helps connect Veteran
businesses with Corporations and Government Agencies for
contracting opportunities, we also provide a variety of resources
to support owners. We are so thankful that companies like SoCalGas
provide us with opportunities that support our mission and uplift
Veterans facing the challenges of owning a business," said
Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner, CEO of
Veterans in Business Network.
SoCalGas' ASPIRE 2045 sustainability strategy includes a
goal of achieving 45% spending with diverse business enterprises by
2025. ASPIRE 2045 sets forth SoCalGas' goal to achieve net zero
greenhouse gas emissions in the company's operations and delivery
of energy by 2045, as well as goals related to safety, DE&I in
the workplace, and investment in underserved communities.
Many companies benefit from business development programs and
services offered by SoCalGas' supplier diversity team, such as:
- SoCalGas' Smaller Contractor Opportunity Realization Effort
(SCORE) program helps prepare smaller diverse suppliers with
revenues of under $5 million and less
than 25 employees, to participate in SoCalGas procurement
opportunities.
- In 2023, SoCalGas' expenditures with 107 SCORE suppliers were
over $129 million.
- Scholarships for 10 diverse business owners to attend the
Management Development for Entrepreneurs Program at UCLA Anderson
School of Management's Harold and Pauline Price Center for
Entrepreneurship & Innovation each year.
To learn more about SoCalGas' supplier diversity programs, visit
https://www.socalgas.com/for-your-business/supplier-diversity.
*California Public Utilities Commission Supplier Diversity
Program, see General Order 156
https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/supplierdiversity/
About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles,
SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas aims to deliver
affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to
approximately 21 million consumers across approximately 24,000
square miles of Central and Southern
California. We believe gas delivered through our pipelines
plays a key role in California's
clean energy transition by supporting energy system reliability and
resiliency and enabling integration of renewable
resources.
SoCalGas' mission is to build the cleanest, safest and most
innovative energy infrastructure 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
replace 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply to core
customers with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. RNG can be made
from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants.
SoCalGas is also investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while
working to keep bills affordable for customers. SoCalGas is a
subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), an energy infrastructure
company based in San Diego.
For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect
with SoCalGas on X (formerly Twitter) (@SoCalGas),
Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about the
future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees.
Future results may differ materially from those expressed or
implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking
statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the
date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
In this press release, forward-looking statements can be
identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "intend,"
"anticipate," "contemplate," "plan," "estimate," "project,"
"forecast," "envision," "should," "could," "would," "will,"
"confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "in
process," "construct," "develop," "opportunity," "preliminary,"
"initiative," "target," "outlook," "optimistic," "poised,"
"maintain," "continue," "progress," "advance," "goal," "aim,"
"commit," or similar expressions, or when we discuss our guidance,
priorities, strategy, goals, vision, mission, opportunities,
projections, intentions or expectations.
Factors, among others, that could cause actual results and
events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any
forward-looking statement include: decisions, investigations,
inquiries, regulations, denials or revocations of permits,
consents, approvals or other authorizations, renewals of
franchises, and other actions, including the failure to honor
contracts and commitments, by the (i) California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Internal Revenue
Service and other regulatory bodies and (ii) U.S. and states,
counties, cities and other jurisdictions therein where we do
business; the success of business development efforts and
construction projects, including risks related to (i) completing
construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget,
(ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if
completed, (iii) obtaining third-party consents and approvals, and
(iv) third parties honoring their contracts and commitments;
macroeconomic trends or other factors that could change our capital
expenditure plans and their potential impact on rate base or other
growth; litigation, arbitrations and other proceedings, and changes
to laws and regulations, including those related to tax and trade
policy; cybersecurity threats, including by state and
state-sponsored actors, of ransomware or other attacks on our
systems or the systems of third parties with which we conduct
business, including the energy grid or other energy infrastructure;
the availability, uses, sufficiency, and cost of capital resources
and our ability to borrow money on favorable terms and meet our
obligations, including due to (i) actions by credit rating agencies
to downgrade our credit ratings or place those ratings on negative
outlook, (ii) instability in the capital markets, or (iii) rising
interest rates and inflation; the impact on affordability of our
customer rates and our cost of capital and on our ability to pass
through higher costs to customers due to (i) volatility in
inflation, interest rates and commodity prices and (ii) the cost of
meeting the demand for lower carbon and reliable energy in
California; the impact of climate
and sustainability policies, laws, rules, regulations, disclosures
and trends, including actions to reduce or eliminate reliance on
natural gas, increased uncertainty in the political or regulatory
environment for California natural
gas distribution companies, the risk of nonrecovery for stranded
assets, and uncertainty related to relevant emerging and
early-stage technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics,
accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information
system outages or other events, such as work stoppages, that
disrupt our operations, damage our facilities or systems, cause the
release of harmful materials or fires or subject us to liability
for damages, fines and penalties, some of which may not be
recoverable through regulatory mechanisms or insurance or may
impact our ability to obtain satisfactory levels of affordable
insurance; the availability of natural gas and natural gas storage
capacity, including disruptions caused by failures in the pipeline
system or limitations on the withdrawal of natural gas from storage
facilities; and other uncertainties, some of which are difficult to
predict and beyond our control.
These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the
reports that the company has filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the
EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and
on Sempra's website, www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely
unduly on any forward-looking statements.
Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra Infrastructure Partners, Sempra
Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC
(Oncor) and Infraestructura Energética Nova, S.A.P.I. de
C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as
the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company or
Southern California Gas Company, and Sempra Infrastructure, Sempra
Infrastructure Partners, Sempra Texas, Sempra Texas Utilities,
Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Company