Author: sHq_LoGiNz

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2025 /3BL/ – Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) today announced it executed a contract with Organic Energy Solutions (OES) to procure renewable natural gas (RNG) converted from organic waste and inject it into SoCalGas’ pipeline system. The contract is the first approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) under Senate Bill (SB) 1440 which sets specific RNG procurement targets for the state’s natural gas utilities. The RNG will be sourced from a project located in the city of San Bernardino and is an important step toward achieving California’s goal to reduce methane emissions from agriculture and waste while advancing energy decarbonization in the state.

SB 1440 is recognized as the nation’s first renewable gas standard and led the CPUC to set goals for the procurement of RNG, also known as biomethane, which is made from the organic waste of wastewater treatment plants, dairies, landfills, agricultural practices and forestry residues. Depending on its source, RNG can be carbon negative, meaning it captures more greenhouse gases than it emits. SoCalGas aims to replace approximately 12% of the traditional natural gas it delivers to residential and small business customers with RNG by 2030, pursuant to the targets that have been established under SB 1440 by the CPUC. The new RNG standard is expected to help the state achieve its goal to reduce methane emissions by 40% by 2030.

“As the first RNG procurement project under California’s renewable gas standard, this contract represents an important milestone for the RNG industry and SoCalGas as we work together to advance California’s energy goals,” said Elsa Valay-Paz, vice president of gas acquisition at SoCalGas. “By converting waste that would otherwise end up in landfills into usable energy, this project is intended to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and help California reach its climate goals.”

“At OES, we are proud to unite with SoCalGas on this groundbreaking renewable natural gas project, which marks a significant step forward in California’s transition to cleaner energy. By converting organic waste into a valuable energy resource, we aim to not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also create a more sustainable and resilient energy future,” said Brian Hume, senior vice president of operations for BioStar Renewables, owner of OES. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation in waste-to-energy solutions and our shared vision for a cleaner, more sustainable California.”

OES, a company specializing in biomass processing and fuel production, will collect organic waste – a source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – from local industrial and food waste, and process it in an anaerobic digester which speeds up natural decomposition. Methane emissions from the decomposition process are captured and converted into RNG, which will then be injected into the SoCalGas pipeline system. The project is expected to begin supplying RNG to SoCalGas’ system in the second half of 2026. Organic waste in landfills contributes to approximately 20% of California’s methane emissions. Once operational, OES estimates the project will prevent approximately 15,300 tons of GHGs from entering the atmosphere each year, which is the equivalent to the energy usage of 2,984 homes per year or 1.7 million gallons of consumed gasoline.

RNG is already helping reduce emissions from trucks and buses, contributing to cleaner air. In 2019, SoCalGas began replacing traditional compressed natural gas with RNG at its fueling stations to help reduce GHGs. Since 2020, the RNG supplied at SoCalGas’ 37 fueling stations has been classified as carbon negative by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). SoCalGas continues to advance its efforts to decarbonize the fuel it transports, delivering approximately 5% RNG to customers since 2023.

“SoCalGas’ progress toward RNG procurement targets established under California’s SB 1440 will be watched closely by counterparts and policymakers in other U.S. states, with the potential for agreements like these to create a powerful precedent for lasting energy system change,” said Sam Wade, vice president of public policy for RNG Coalition. “RNG is an innovative climate solution that converts methane emissions from organic waste into a low-carbon replacement for fossil fuels, making it a cleaner fit for long-term decarbonization plans at the utility level.”

SoCalGas’ RNG initiatives support California’s clean air and climate goals, including the CARB Scoping Plan, which projects RNG will play a vital role in reducing GHGs and decarbonizing industrial buildings and processes, as well as the transportation sector. The California Integrated Energy Policy Report also found that RNG can significantly reduce GHGs and pollutant emissions compared to conventional diesel trucks.

For more information on SoCalGas’ RNG initiatives, visit socalgas.com/sustainability/renewable-natural-gas.

To learn more about OES and BioStar Renewables, visit BioStarRenewables.com.

As a purpose-driven organization, Elanco employees are focused on its customers and ensuring their work adds value to society, showcasing their commitment to improve the health of animals, people, and the planet. With a goal to secure 20,000 volunteer hours in 2024, Elanco employees went above and beyond, securing 26,067 volunteer hours, volunteering at 330+ unique organizations with a value of $872,900 to nonprofits.

It’s these efforts that led to the first-ever BEYOND Awards, recognizing the exceptional contributions of Global Cause Ambassadors within the Elanco Global Cause Network, Elanco introduced its first-ever BEYOND Awards. These ambassadors are individuals who dedicate their time and effort to organizing, planning, and leading volunteer activities, fostering a culture of giving back amongst Elanco employees worldwide. The awards celebrate those who go above and beyond in creating meaningful volunteer and giving opportunities for their colleagues, acting as both organizers and cheerleaders for positive community impact.

2025 BEYOND Award Winners

• Global Cause Ambassador of the Year: Peggy Chen | Peggy has a strong track record of leading and supporting Elanco’s giving and volunteering efforts. She led the Global Day of Purpose (GDOP) in 2023 and 2024, co-led it in 2022 and 2021, and championed numerous other volunteer opportunities. Since 2020, she has volunteered for over 240 hours and has made generous personal contributions to non-profits of her choice.
• Global Cause Partner of the Year: Hiltrud Dornieden | Hiltrud has been instrumental in driving GDOP activities at the Elanco Basel site in 2024, organizing diverse initiatives like blood drives, food bank donations, animal shelter volunteering, forest clean-ups, and the “Donate Your Meal” program. Her consistent efforts to promote GDOP, including proactive communication and diverse activity options, have fostered a strong GDOP spirit amongst colleagues, resulting in record participation.
• Global Cause Partner of the Year: Stefan Pekrul | Stefan’s organization of various events, including trash collections, charity runs, blood drives, pet food collections, and support for breast cancer patients, has positively impacted the community and fostered a more engaged workforce. His dedication has resulted in tangible benefits such as cleaner beaches, healthier animals in local shelters, and increased colleague participation. Colleagues praise Stefan’s drive, helpfulness, and hands-on approach, highlighting his significant contributions to Elanco’s community engagement efforts.

Originally published on March 7, 2025 on LinkedIn

Throughout Black History Month, our teams embraced the spirit of the month with shared meals, storytelling, and meaningful conversations about Black excellence in food, hospitality, and beyond.

Here are just a few moments from sites across the country, including New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore, Metro NY, our headquarters in Houston! A huge thank you to our Catalyst Colleague Resource Group members and even more local teams across the nation for making these celebrations so impactful.

Swipe through to see how we came together!

About Sysco

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 76,000 colleagues, the company operates 340 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 730,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2024 that ended June 29, 2024, the company generated sales of more than $78 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2023 Sustainability Report and 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.

 For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoFoods. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.

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