LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the California Public Utilities Commission approved SoCalGas and SDG&E's request to offer a voluntary Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Tariff.  The program will allow households and businesses to purchase RNG from the utilities.  SoCalGas issued the following statement in support of the decision:

"The approval of the Renewable Natural Gas Tariff is an important step in achieving California's climate goals. SoCalGas supports those goals.  With this new program, natural gas customers will soon have the ability to purchase renewable natural gas (RNG) to fuel their homes and businesses, similar to renewable energy programs available to electric customers.

"RNG is made from organic waste from dairies, landfills and with the passage of AB 3163 can now be sourced from dead trees, agricultural waste and vegetation removed for wildfire mitigation.  It is the only renewable energy source that can be carbon negative.  Experts at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories say California will need to remove 125 million tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere per year to achieve carbon neutrality.  And they found that converting organic waste to clean fuels like RNG holds the greatest potential for negative emissions at the lowest cost.

"SoCalGas is helping to build California's 21^st century energy system with investments in RNG, hydrogen, fuel cells and carbon capture and storage. The voluntary Renewable Natural Gas Tariff is one of those building blocks and part of SoCalGas' commitment to deliver 20 percent RNG to its core customers by 2030. 

"The gas system complements and is a necessary facilitator of decarbonization.  California's success in achieving its climate change goals depends in large measure on SoCalGas's success in decarbonizing the fuels flowing through our grid, a goal to which SoCalGas is fully committed."