SoCalGas is proposing to develop what would be the nation’s largest green hydrogen energy infrastructure system, the Angeles Link, to deliver clean, reliable energy to the Los Angeles region.

As proposed, the Angeles Link would support the integration of more renewable electricity resources like solar and wind and would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electric generation, industrial processes, heavy-duty trucks and other hard-to-electrify sectors of the Southern California economy.

The proposed Angeles Link would also significantly decrease demand for natural gas, diesel and other fossil fuels in the Los Angeles Basin, helping accelerate California’s and the region’s climate and clean air goals.

Green hydrogen is produced entirely from renewable electricity, and it expands our renewable energy storage capabilities, allowing us to utilize more renewable electricity and avoid curtailment while reducing emissions in hard-to-electrify sectors.

“A dedicated green hydrogen system is essential to meeting Los Angeles County’s goal of transitioning to a carbon free energy system,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Los Angeles County’s Fifth District. “By decarbonizing hard to electrify industries, Angeles Link will decrease demand for fossil-based natural gas and increase the amount of reliable clean energy in the region. This will help L.A. County continue to grow sustainably without increasing greenhouse gas emissions and jeopardizing grid reliability.”

The Angeles Link can:
— Displace up to three million gallons of diesel fuel per day by replacing diesel powered heavy-duty trucks with hydrogen fuel cell trucks.
— Eliminate up to nearly 25,000 tons of smog forming NOx per year and 14.3 million metrics tons of CO2 from the air annually, the equivalent of taking 3.1 million cars off the road.
— Convert up to four natural gas power plants to green hydrogen.

As contemplated, the Angeles Link would deliver green hydrogen in an amount equivalent to almost 25 percent of the natural gas SoCalGas delivers today. Building the system to provide a clean alternative fuel could, over time and combined with other future clean energy projects, reduce natural gas demand served by the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility, facilitating its ultimate retirement while continuing to provide reliable and affordable energy to the region.

“As President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, my priority is creating good union jobs while also seeking solutions that protect workers and their families when they return from a hard day’s work,” Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO said. “The thought of creating a massive clean, green energy hub in Los Angeles, growing union jobs and preserving the thousands of middle-class jobs for refinery, utility and electrical workers is exactly the sort of out-of-the-box thinking that this project presents. This is infrastructure done right.”

To promote the public’s interest in transparency and accountability, SoCalGas is filing an application with the California Public Utilities Commission requesting approval to track costs related to development of the Angeles Link. The company proposes a phased approach with a robust stakeholder process each step of the way. The application, available here includes descriptions of each phase, including development of a detailed project application as part of Phase 3. With this application submission the proposed Angeles Link is in its initial stage of development and subsequent stages will require further regulatory review and discretionary approvals, among other things.

To learn more about SoCalGas’ proposed Angeles Link project, click here.