San Diego Gas & Electric

infobox company
company_name = San Diego Gas & Electric
company_type = Utility
company_
company_slogan = Serving You Today. Planning For Tomorrow.
foundation = Unknown Date
location_city = San Diego, California
location_country = United States
key_people =
num_employees =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
industry = Natural Gas & Electric
products =
homepage = http://www.sdge.com/

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to San Diego County and southern Orange County in southwestern California, United States. It is owned by Sempra Energy, a Fortune 500 energy services holding company that is based in San Diego.

SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides energy service to 3.3 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The utility's area spans 4,100 square miles (10,600 square kilometers).

In 2004, the California Public Utilities Commission approved SDG&E's long-term energy resource plan, which relies on a balanced mix of resources to meet the growing energy needs of San Diego. That mix includes increased emphasis on energy efficiency, more renewable energy resources, and additional baseload generation plants and transmission capacity.

Interconnections

SDG&E has two 230 kV lines (Miguel-Tijuana line and the LaRosita-Imperial Valley Line) that connect the Californian transmission system with the Mexican Comisión Federal de Electricidad transmission system in Baja California. The Path 45 transmission corridor, spanning over the United States-Mexico border, has a capacity of 408 Megawatts. SDG&E has also one 500 kV line that forms the massive Path 46 transmission system that ensures Southern California has enough electricity.

"United States versus San Diego Gas and Electric"

The Encanto Gas Holder was a natural gas holding station composed of over convert|9|mi|km of underground convert|30|in|mm|sing=on pipe on about 16 acres of land in Lemon Grove, adjacent to the city of San Diego. First brought on line in the mid 1950's, the Encanto Gas Holder was decommissioned in 2000-2001 by San Diego Gas and Electric, Sempra Energy as the agent of SDG&E, and the IT Corporation as the main contractor for the decommissioning. TriState was brought on board to abate strips of asbestos-containing pipe coating for another contractor to cut the holder bottle into convert|40|ft|m|sing=on long sections. TriState was later tasked with stripping the coating at the gas holder site despite employee and neighboring residents' concerns of friable asbestos generated as a byproduct of the gross stripping processes employed by SDG&E contractors. [ [http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cas/press/cas60111-1.pdf US Attorney's press release] ]

In 2006, SDG&E was indicted by U.S. Attorney Carol C. Lam in the Southern District of California on 5 counts constituting environmental crimes, including conspiracy, fraud, and 3 counts of mishandling regulated asbestos containing materials in violation of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants. Additional defendants include SDG&E's director of environmental compliance, an uncertified asbestos removal consultant, and the IT Corporation project manager. [ [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060112-9999-7m12sdge.html SDG&E, workers indicted on fraud] ] Charges were dismissed without prejudice in November 2006, but the defendants were re-indicted in early 2007 on nearly identical charges, and the case was heard in San Diego's federal court in June and July 2007. [ [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070606-9999-7m6sdge.html SDG&E asbestos-removal trial begins] ] On July 13, 2007, 3 guilty verdicts were returned against defendants SDG&E, IT Corporation project manager Kyle Rhuebottom, and SDG&E environmental specialist David "Willie" Williamson, including false statements, failure to provide adequate notice to government agencies of regulated asbestos on the site, and violating asbestos work practice standards for the purpose of avoiding the cost of lawful environmental compliance. SDG&E environmental director Jacquelyn McHugh was found not guilty, and defense attorneys vowed an appeal for unjust prosecution. [ [http://www.10news.com/news/13681406/detail.html SDG&E Found Guilty Violating Asbestos Removal Standards] ] [ [http://sandiego.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel07/sd071307.htm FBI/DOJ press release] ]

Marine helicopter crash lawsuit

On September 3, 2008 a jury awarded $55.6 million to the families of four United States Marine aviators killed when their UH-1 helicopter crashed into a SDG&E 130-foot-tall utility tower at Camp Pendleton. The amount awarded included $15.2 million in compensatory damages and $40.4 million in punitive damages The jury held SDG&E responsible for $9.48 of the compensation amount and all of the punitive damages. [Perry, Tony, " [http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/55-million-awarded-marine-air-t66738.html $55 Million Awarded In Marine Air Crash] ", "Los Angeles Times", September 4, 2008, p. B3.]

During the trial, the plaintiff's attorney argued that SDG&E was negligent because of its policy of placing warning lights only on towers over 200 feet in height. The company said the power line had been on the base for 25 years and that SDG&E would have installed lights if the Marine Corps had asked. Since the crash, the company has installed lights, said Todd Macaluso, the lawyer for the families. SDG&E said that it would appeal the judgment. [Perry, Tony, " [http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/55-million-awarded-marine-air-t66738.html $55 Million Awarded In Marine Air Crash] ", "Los Angeles Times", September 4, 2008, p. B3.]

References

* [http://wecc.biz/documents/library/reports/2006/Path2006.pdf Wecc.biz]
* [http://www.stirlingenergy.com/news/HoustonChronicle.com%20-%20(PZ)%20CPUC%20Approves%20SDG&E%20Contract%20for%20Solar%20Power.pdf Stirlingenergy.com]
* [http://www.stirlingenergy.com/news/HoustonChronicle.com%20-%20(PZ)%20CPUC%20Approves%20SDG&E%20Contract%20for%20Solar%20Power.pdf]

Notes