SoCalGas unveils Angeles Link proposal

Angeles Link project would cut emissions and smog in LA Photo: REUTERS Lucy Nicholson

Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) has unveiled a proposal which would see creation of the largest green hydrogen energy infrastructure system in the United States.

Billed as the ‘Angeles Link’, the system would support integration of renewable electricity resources, including solar and wind, with the intent of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, industrial processes, heavy-duty trucks and other sectors in the Southern California economy.

It is put forward that the Angeles Link would support a significant decrease in the demand for natural gas, diesel and other fossil fuels in the LA basin, helping to accelerate California’s clean air goals.

“The challenges we face on climate require solutions of scale and urgency,” said Scott Drury, chief executive officer of SoCalGas. “The Angeles Link is designed to meet those challenges head-on.

“Today in Southern California we’re announcing plans for one of the world’s largest clean energy infrastructure systems, to help tackle emissions for which there are no easy answers. Those emissions – from power plants, industry, and heavy-duty trucks - very much ‘count’ and must be significantly reduced to reach our and the state’s climate goals.”

The statement puts forward that as the nation’s manufacturing hub, the LA Basin is home to many potential hydrogen users.

The Angeles Link could eliminate the use of three million gallons of diesel fuel per day replacing heavy-duty diesel trucks with those powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

In addition, it could cut up to 25,000 tons of smog forming NOx per year, while also provide clean fuel to convert four natural gas power plants to green hydrogen.

In total, the Angeles Link would replace about 25% of the natural gas now delivered by SoCalGas. Such is the reduction level that if could see the closing of the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility.

“Angeles Link is the first real proposal I’ve seen that can substantially decrease the need for natural gas in the city of Los Angeles without compromising grid reliability,” said John Lee, Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 12. “I support the goals of this proposal because it will help us get one step closer to achieving the city’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2035 without compromising reliability and hurting jobs.”

It is the view of SoCalGas that renewable green hydrogen has the potential to deliver significant emissions reductions in industries and sectors where renewable electricity alone cannot. Studies have shown that the use of clean fuels will help to achieve Los Angeles’ LA100 net zero goals and California’s mid-century climate goals.

Global investments in green hydrogen are helping to reduce costs. HyDeal Los Angeles, an initiative of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, a non-profit organization supported by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), SoCalGas, Mitsubishi Power and others, aims to make green hydrogen cost-competitive with traditional fuels. It has targeted at-scale green hydrogen procurement at $1.50/kilogram in the LA Basin by 2030.