Building on the sustainability strategy it released in October 2020 and its pledge to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced it is developing two hydrogen pilot projects, nearing completion of an additional battery storage facility and will break ground on another, and launching a vehicle-to-grid pilot program featuring six electric school buses, among other efforts.
In partnership with local startups and organizations, SDG&E has advanced a number of hydrogen, energy storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure projects over the past year. These projects illustrate some of the concrete steps SDG&E is taking to deliver on its sustainability commitments.
Hydrogen Innovations: SDG&E will begin construction this year on two hydrogen pilot projects that will test half a dozen use cases and anticipates putting them into service in 2022.
The Borrego Springs Green Hydrogen Project will demonstrate hydrogen's use as long-duration energy storage; a microgrid asset; and a resource for dispatch by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to support grid reliability.
The Palomar Green Hydrogen Systems Project will demonstrate the blending of hydrogen with natural gas as fuel for an electric generator, as well as onsite production of green hydrogen for use as a cooling gas. Additionally, SDG&E will install its first hydrogen fueling station to support the first fuel cell vehicles in its fleet.
Energy Storage: Currently, SDG&E owns and operates 13 energy storage projects, totaling about 45 MW of energy storage. To maximize the use of renewable energy and enhance reliability, SDG&E expects to have a total of 135 MW of utility-owned energy storage integrated into the local with the addition of the following:
Top Gun Energy Storage in Miramar area of San Diego (30MW/120MWh): Expected to be operational in June 2021.
Kearny Energy Storage in the City of San Diego (20MW/80MWh): Breaking ground this month with completion expected in late summer/early fall 2021.
Fallbrook Energy Storage in unincorporated North San Diego County (40MW/160MWh facility): Construction is expected to begin late 2021/early 2022.
Clean Transportation: In addition to expanding the EV charging network through multiple programs, SDG&E is striving to pioneer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
Vehicle-to-Grid Pilot Program: SDG&E anticipates breaking ground this month on the construction of bi-directional DC fast chargers at the Cajon Valley Union School District to support six electric buses.
Bringing Chargers to Parks and Beaches: SDG&E kicked off construction on the first project in its parks and beaches program, which will bring 140 chargers to 22 locations.
Power Your Drive for Fleets: In March, SDG&E energized the first EV chargers it installed as part of its medium and heavy-duty EV infrastructure program, which aims to serve at least 3,000 vehicles at 300 sites.
SDG&E's climate pledge to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 covers all emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3), which would eliminate not only its own direct emissions, but also those generated by customers. Efforts are already underway, and the company will seek out more opportunities to collaborate with business and industry in the communities it serves.
