SoCalGas' [H2] Innovation Experience Named to Fast Company's Third Annual List of the Next Big Things in Tech

CEO Scott Drury appointed to Fast Company's CEO Council, a professional organization of senior executives helping define the future of business

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) announced Tuesday that its [H2] Innovation Experience in Downey was named to Fast Company's third annual Next Big Things in Tech list, honoring technology breakthroughs designed to shape the future of industries — from healthcare and security to artificial intelligence and data.

The [H2] Innovation Experience is the 2023 recipient of Fast Company's Next Big Things in Tech Award in the category of Current Events, which showcases "products and technologies that are tackling the world's most pressing problems." 

The [H2] Innovation Experience is North America's first-ever clean hydrogen powered microgrid and home. This project demonstrates how carbon-free gas made from renewable electricity could be used in pure form or as a blend to fuel energy systems and communities of the future.

In addition to the award recognition, CEO Scott Drury was invited to join the Fast Company's CEO Council. This vetted group of innovative founders, CEOs, and visionaries convenes annually to discuss their knowledge of innovation, design, technology, ethical economics, and social responsibility to create a roadmap for driving progress for Fast Company.

"Innovation is key to a successful energy transition and the [H2] Innovation Experience is a pioneering, real-world, example of what we could accomplish by pairing renewable energy, existing infrastructure and our skilled workforce," said SoCalGas CEO Scott Drury. "Since the [H2] Innovation Experience opened its doors earlier this year, the project has attracted broad interest from around the world, including visiting delegations of national and international energy experts."

"The Next Big Things in Tech is not just a look around the corner—it's a look around the corner after that," said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "These are the products and ideas that will define technological innovation for the rest of this decade and beyond—and solve some of the world's most pressing issues. We are thrilled to honor the organizations that are making them a reality."

In addition to this award, the [H2] Innovation Experience was also a finalist for "The Best Experimental Design of 2023." It was previously named a World-Changing Idea by Fast Company and awarded the U.S. Green Building Council of L.A.'s Sustainable Innovation Award. The project features clean hydrogen production and storage along with a nearly 2,000 square-foot home designed to draw power from solar panels and convert excess renewable energy into clean hydrogen.

As a sign of the continuing support for hydrogen technology, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $1.2 billion last month to ARCHES, a statewide public-private partnership designed to accelerate renewable hydrogen's contribution to decarbonizing the state's economy and build on California's long-standing hydrogen and renewable energy innovation. SoCalGas is a participant in the ARCHES network. California was one of seven hubs announced as part of President Biden's H2Hub program, to create regional hydrogen hubs across the country.

When coupled with renewable energy, clean hydrogen could help facilitate a scalable, resilient, and decarbonized energy system. SoCalGas is working to help shape California's 21st century energy system through investments in clean hydrogen, renewable natural gas, fuel cells, and carbon management.

For more information about SoCalGas' hydrogen innovation, visit http://socalgas.com/hydrogen.

About SoCalGas
Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas^® is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, and increasingly renewable gas service to over 21 million consumers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines will continue to play a key role in California's clean energy transition—providing electric grid reliability and supporting wind and solar energy deployment. 

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. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping 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 Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook. 

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Brendan Vaughan. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with its sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

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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 by the (i) California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other governmental and 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 in (i) completing construction projects or other transactions on schedule and budget, (ii) realizing anticipated benefits from any of these efforts if completed, and (iii) obtaining third-party consents and approvals; 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, all of which continue to become more pronounced; 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; failure of our counterparties to honor their contracts and commitments; 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 the clean energy transition 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 our ability to incorporate new technologies; weather, natural disasters, pandemics, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorism, information system outages or other events 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 Mexico, Sempra Texas Utilities, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the CPUC.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company