Celebrating Our History, Focused on the Future
In 1998, Sempra was formed as a merger of two century-old utilities: Pacific Enterprises and Enova Corporation, the parent companies of Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric. Over the past two decades, Sempra has grown into a diversified global energy infrastructure company. Since its formation, the company has been successful in developing a balanced portfolio of businesses comprised of top-tier utilities and long-term-contracted energy infrastructure assets.
To date, the company has contributed more than $260 million to charitable causes and continues to find innovative ways to best serve more than 40 million consumers worldwide.
A History of Innovation
1998
Sempra Founded
Pacific Enterprises and Enova Corporation completed a $6.2 billion merger to create Sempra, an energy services company with one of the largest regulated utility customer bases in the United States.
In 1998, Sempra’s 12,000 employees served approximately 21 million consumers across 27,000 square miles in Southern California. Today, more than 20,000 employees serve more than 40 million consumers worldwide.
2007
Sempra Foundation Created
The Sempra Foundation was founded in 2007 as an organization dedicated to helping communities through grants, volunteering and employee giving.
The Foundation is currently focused on enabling economic progress and expanding energy access to help reduce the number of people around the world living without reliable energy.
2008
Energía Costa Azul LNG Began Commercial Operations
In May 2008, Energía Costa Azul in Baja California began commercial operations, making it one of the first LNG receipt terminals on the West Coast. Located about 15 miles north of Ensenada, Mexico, the terminal can process up to one billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
2009
Cameron LNG Receipt Terminal Began Commercial Operations
In July 2009, the Cameron LNG receipt terminal near Lake Charles, Louisiana, successfully completed performance testing and began commercial operations. Cameron LNG’s first cargo arrived aboard BP’s British Diamond, an LNG carrier bringing supplies from Trinidad.
2012
Sunrise Powerlink Energized
In June 2012, SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink was completed and put into service. The 500,000-volt transmission line is capable of carrying enough power to serve 650,000 homes.
The completion of the nearly $1.9 billion project culminated a five-year-long environmental review and permitting process, and 18 months of construction that encompassed both overhead and underground technology.
2013
IEnova Initial Public Offering Completed
In March 2014, Sempra’s Mexican subsidiary, IEnova, successfully executed its initial public offering (IPO). IEnova was one of the first private companies to invest in the energy sector in Mexico, following reforms at the time that opened the market for energy infrastructure development.
IEnova’s assets include pipelines, natural gas distribution, LNG and other liquid fuels infrastructure, as well as wind and solar power generation facilities.
2016
SDG&E Received CPUC Approval for EV Pilot Program
In January 2016, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved SDG&E’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Grid-Integration pilot program to install thousands of EV charging stations at businesses and multi-family communities, including in underserved neighborhoods, throughout San Diego and south Orange counties.
In addition to expanding access to EVs, the pilot features special rates that encourage EV drivers to charge their cars when electricity supply, including renewable energy, is plentiful and energy prices are low.
2017
IEnova Signed First Liquid Fuels Contract
In August 2017, IEnova signed long-term contracts with a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corp. for the storage capacity of the liquid fuels marine terminal to be constructed in Veracruz and two inland storage facilities to be constructed in Puebla and Mexico City. These facilities were IEnova's first venture in Mexico's emerging $10 billion liquids market.
2017
SoCalGas Installed Nation’s First Power-to-Gas Project
In October 2017, SoCalGas installed the first power-to-gas project in the U.S. at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado.
Power-to-gas technology is a cutting-edge method of storing excess renewable energy. The project is the first of its kind in the United States converting hydrogen generated from excess renewable power into pipeline quality methane for use in homes, businesses and in transportation.
2018
Acquisition of a Majority Stake in Oncor Completed
Sempra completed its $9.45 billion acquisition of Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH), including EFH's approximate 80% indirect ownership interest in Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC. The close of the transaction created a utility holding company with the largest U.S. customer base.
2020
Cameron LNG Began Full Commercial Operations; Energía Costa Azul LNG Reached Final Investment Decision
Cameron LNG’s liquefaction export project in Hackberry, Louisiana reached full commercial operations in August 2020, enabling the export of approximately 12 million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas.
Also in 2020, Energía Costa Azul’s liquefaction export project (ECA LNG) reached a final investment decision for the project in Baja California, Mexico. This was the only LNG facility in the world to reach final investment decision in 2020 as society grappled with a turbulent global pandemic.
2021
Announced Net-Zero GHG Emissions Goals at Sempra, SDG&E and SoCalGas
Our entire family of companies is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 in both the energy used in our operations and the energy we deliver to our customers.
We also published our Sustainable Financing Framework, applicable to Sempra, SDG&E and SoCalGas, which highlights each company’s focus on financing sustainable projects that are aligned with its business and ESG (environmental, social, governance) strategy.
2021
SDG&E Completed the Cleveland National Forest Fire Hardening and Safety Project
In 2021, SDG&E completed its multi-year project to harden its infrastructure in the Cleveland National Forest.
The project replaced more than 2,100 wood poles with fire-resistant steel poles, undergrounded more than 17 miles of transmission and distribution line and replaced 607 miles of conductor and equipment. This enhances the safety and reliability of the electric transmission and distribution system and is part of SDG&E’s extensive wildfire mitigation efforts.
