Pipeline Safety & Reliability Project
Along with electricity, natural gas fuels San Diego. In order to deliver safe and reliable natural gas for current and future needs, we’re proposing a new natural gas transmission pipeline for our region.
The Pipeline Safety & Reliability Project is a proposed new, approximately 47-mile, 36-inch natural gas transmission pipeline from the Rainbow Metering Station near the Riverside County line to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar. The new pipeline will provide safe, reliable, clean and affordable natural gas to meet the region’s growing energy needs.
SDG&E’s natural gas system is part of a larger system jointly operated with Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas). Through a network of transmission pipelines, SDG&E and SoCalGas deliver natural gas safely and reliably, across an approximately 20,000 square mile service area that includes the San Diego region.
San Diego County — the second largest county in California and the 17th largest metropolitan area in the United States — has a growing population of more than 3.2 million people and a regional economy of $179 billion. SDG&E provides safe and reliable natural gas through 873,000 natural gas meters in San Diego County — every day.
Proposed route
After extensive study and review, SDG&E has identified a proposed pipeline route that minimizes costs to our customers, and impacts to private property owners and natural resources. SDG&E proposes to locate the new pipeline underground, primarily within existing streets. Ultimately, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will determine the final route, but SDG&E believes the proposed route has the least impact to people and the environment.
Project timeline
SDG&E will coordinate and collaborate with residents, businesses, local government agencies, and others to provide information and gather input about our proposed new natural gas transmission pipeline. We’re committed to keeping communities informed about the project throughout the CPUC’s review process and during construction. Here’s the anticipated timeline:
- Fall 2015 – Submit project application to the CPUC
- 2015 – 2019 – CPUC review
- 2019 – CPUC approval
- 2020 – Begin construction
- 2022 – Pipeline goes into service and pressure lowered on Line 1600
Safety
The Pipeline Safety & Reliability Project implements state law and SDG&E’s Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan (PSEP), which was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2014. PSEP is part of a multi-year effort to enhance public safety, comply with new regulatory requirements, minimize customer impacts and maximize the cost-effectiveness of our infrastructure investments. The proposed new pipeline will replace the transmission function of an existing pipeline on the system.
Reliability
From hot water to cooking, electric generation to mass transit, natural gas fuels our homes and businesses and is a necessary part of our daily lives. Besides implementing new safety requirements, the new pipeline will enhance the reliability of the natural gas system.
Right now, approximately 90% of the natural gas used throughout our region flows through a single transmission pipeline located near San Diego’s Interstate 5 corridor. Any disruption to that single pipeline could potentially interrupt energy service for our local customers. In such an emergency, many people would lose electricity and wouldn’t be able to heat or cool their homes.
By adding redundancy to the system, the pipeline upgrade will make our region’s natural gas transmission system more resilient and provide greater reliability. In addition, by expanding system capacity, SDG&E would be better able to respond to sharp fluctuations in demand for natural gas during the day.
As the population grows, energy policies change and new technologies come on-line, the way we use natural gas continues to evolve. In addition to implementing mandatory safety requirements, this project would increase the capacity of the system so that natural gas is available when we need it, helping with current fluctuations in demand and how we may need it in the future.
Sustainability
Cost-effective and clean natural gas plays a key role in advancing environmental policies. Today, SDG&E’s electric generation portfolio has zero contracts for coal and consists only of clean natural gas and renewable sources like wind, solar, fuel cell and renewable natural gas, all of which can be harnessed by energy storage technology. In the last 12 months, customers have benefitted from the carbon reductions that come with receiving around 40% of their energy from renewable resources. Because natural gas-fired generation is needed when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing, these environmental achievements are not possible without natural gas.
Natural gas is also a key part of reducing emissions associated with the transportation sector, which contributes 55% of the greenhouse gas emissions here in San Diego. The use of clean natural gas has already helped Southern California homeowners and businesses reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking more than a half million cars off the road. This project will help our region build upon these gains to create a cleaner and healthier San Diego.
Significant injection into the San Diego economy
The Pipeline Safety & Reliability Project is estimated to generate a total economic impact of more than $639 million over the next 8 years, with $471 million of that economic activity within the San Diego region.
Through this economic activity, the project will also generate:
- Nearly 3,300 new local jobs
- More than $86 million in support for local diverse businesses
- More than $14.7 million in new tax revenue
Q: What is the Pipeline Safety & Reliability Project?
A: SDG&E is proposing a new, natural gas transmission pipeline to enhance safety and reliability for our customers in the San Diego region. The proposed natural gas transmission pipeline would start at SDG&E’s existing Rainbow Metering Station and continue south near the I-15 corridor for approximately 47 miles and tie-in with an existing pipeline on Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar.
Q: Why is this proposed pipeline needed?
A: SDG&E has an obligation to provide safe and reliable energy service for its customers. The fundamental purpose of this proposed project is to enhance safety, improve energy reliability and operational flexibility so that we can continue to provide safe and reliable energy service. The San Diego region is essentially reliant on one natural gas transmission pipeline, which provides approximately 90 percent of SDG&E’s natural gas capacity. We are not aware of any other major metropolitan area that is so dependent on a single pipeline. The remaining 10 percent is delivered by Pipeline 1600.
Pipeline 1600 was built in the 1940’s and by law must be “pressure tested” or replaced. Consistent with SDG&E’s CPUC-approved Pipeline Safety Enhancement Plan (PSEP), SDG&E is proposing to replace Pipeline 1600 with a new pipeline instead of pressure testing it. Once the new pipeline is constructed, SDG&E would then lower the operating pressure of Pipeline 1600 and convert it to distribution use. This would avoid the costs and customer impacts of pressure testing Pipeline 1600 while helping to further validate the safety of the existing pipeline.
Q: What will SDG&E do to ensure the proposed pipeline is safe?
A: SDG&E is committed to the safety of its customers, employees and the public. The proposed pipeline will be engineered, constructed, tested and monitored to meet, and in many cases, exceed federal and state safety requirements.
Q: How will this affect landowners?
A: SDG&E worked to select a pipeline route with limited impacts to private properties, which is why approximately 97 percent of the proposed route is located within existing streets or under land owned by other public agencies. Where necessary, we will work with private landowners and follow the applicable legal process to acquire any additional land rights that may be needed for the construction, operation and maintenance of the pipeline. This includes temporary rights that may be necessary only during construction.
Q: What happens next?
A: The proposed project must undergo a thorough review by multiple state and federal agencies. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will conduct a full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Q: Who should I contact if I have any questions or for more information?
A: Please visit the CPUC's website or call us at (844) 873-7417 or email us at [email protected].
Project Documents
Newletter, Fall 2017 (English)
Newletter, Fall 2017 (Spanish)
CPUC Application and Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA)
CPUC Notice of Preparation
Natural Gas Fuels San Diego
Between 40% to 70% of the natural gas delivered to San Diego is used to produce electricity. We rely on natural gas to keep our lives moving and our lights on, and the pipeline project is an investment into a having a reliable energy supply.
Key industries using natural gas include:
Agriculture
Our region’s nearly 200 commercial flower and potted-plant growers rely on natural gas to maintain temperatures in their greenhouses so plants and produce can not only grow, but thrive.
Defense
San Diego is proud to be home to the largest concentration of military in the world. The defense industry represents one in every four jobs in San Diego, many of which would not be possible without a reliable and abundant supply of natural gas.
Education
Schools of all levels use natural gas to meet their significant energy and heating needs. In this way, natural gas allows children of all ages to learn in a comfortable environment. For students studying and residing at our region’s colleges and universities, natural gas is used to help cook their food, heat their water and wash their clothes.
Healthcare
At our region’s hospitals and healthcare facilities, keeping the lights on and equipment running can be the difference between life and death. That’s why many of our region’s hospitals, including Rady Children’s and Scripps, have installed cogeneration facilities, capable of converting natural gas into electricity to power their operations.
Hospitality and Entertainment
Tourism is San Diego’s third-largest industry, and it relies heavily on natural gas to cook the food served in our region’s 2,500 restaurants and to provide world-class accommodations for our 33 million annual hotel guests.
Life Sciences
As one of the nation’s top three regions for biotechnology, San Diego’s life sciences companies knows that natural gas is a key energy source for manufacturing the pharmaceuticals that keep us healthy.
Manufacturing
Natural gas keeps operations moving for our region’s $7 billion manufacturing industry.
Transportation
Natural gas drives MTS and the North County Transit District. Several school districts are in the process of converting to compressed natural gas (CNG) bus fleets, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.