Storage capacity at the Southern California natural gas facility, infamous for the largest leak in US history, has been approved for expansion.
California Public Utilities Commission Approves Increase in Storage Capacity at Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility
LOS ANGELES—Despite vehement opposition from many nearby residents, the California Public Utilities Commission approved an increase on Aug. 30 in allowable storage capacity at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage facility near Porter Ranch, site of the largest gas leak in U.S. history.
On a 5–0 vote, the commission agreed to allow up to 68.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas to be stored at the facility. The previous cap was 41.1 billion cubic feet.
Southern California Gas Co. officials requested the increase, saying it is needed to ensure adequate supplies for the upcoming winter months, and to keep consumers’ costs down.
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Many residents balked at such claims, pointing to sharp increases in natural gas prices that occurred last winter and questioning the need to increase supplies.
In a statement, SoCalGas Co. spokesman Chris Gilbride said, “SoCalGas supports the ongoing California Public Utilities Commission’s review of the conditions that drove up natural gas commodity prices in the Western United States this past winter. The commission’s proposal to increase local natural gas storage levels ahead of winter is a prudent step to advance our shared goal of maintaining energy reliability at just and reasonable rates.“
Earlier this month, the commission announced a $71 million settlement with Southern California Gas Co. over the 2015 Aliso Canyon leak that forced thousands of residents from their homes.
The Aliso Canyon leak began on Oct. 23, 2015, and wasn’t capped until mid-February 2016. Nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances were released into the atmosphere over 118 days.
According to the commission, the settlement agreement requires SoCalGas to pay $71 million to the Aliso Canyon Recovery Account, which was created by the state Legislature to address issues arising from the leak, including air quality concerns and public health.
The utility is also barred from attempting to recover costs of the settlement from ratepayers, nor can it bill ratepayers for other financial implications from the leak, including a $1.8 billion civil settlement reached in 2021 to resolve damage claims of more than 35,000 people.
According to the commission, any request by SoCalGas for rate increases over the next five years must include an attestation from the company that the hikes will not be used to offset the costs of any of the specified Aliso Canyon-related expenses listed in the settlement. Those expenses include roughly $126 million in government agency settlements, $462 million in costs of housing displaced residents during the leak, $108 million for a study of the leak’s causes, and $376 million for attorneys, litigation, and other regulatory costs.
In September 2016, SoCalGas pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of failing to immediately report the gas leak. Three other misdemeanor charges—one count of discharging air contaminants and two more counts of failing to report the release of hazardous materials—were dismissed as part of the deal.
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