Item 1. BUSINESS
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Item 1. BUSINESS
This report on Form 10-K includes information for the following separate registrants:
| ▪ | Sempra Energy and its consolidated entities |
| ▪ | SDG&E and its consolidated VIE (until deconsolidation of the VIE on August 23, 2019) |
| ▪ | SoCalGas |
References in this report to “we,” “our,” “us,” “our company” and “Sempra Energy Consolidated” are to Sempra Energy and its consolidated entities, collectively, unless otherwise indicated by the context. We refer to SDG&E and SoCalGas collectively as the California Utilities, which do not include Sempra Texas Utilities or the utility in our Sempra Mexico segment.
OVERVIEW
We are a California-based energy-services holding company. Our businesses invest in, develop and operate energy infrastructure, and provide electric and gas services to customers in North America. Sempra Energy was formed in 1998 through a business combination of Enova and PE, the holding companies of our regulated public utilities in California: SDG&E, which began operations in 1881, and SoCalGas, which began operations in 1867. We have since expanded our regulated public utility presence into Texas through our 2018 and 2020 acquisitions of an aggregate indirect 80.45% interest in Oncor and, in 2019, Oncor’s acquisition of InfraREIT and our acquisition of an indirect 50% interest in Sharyland Utilities. Since 1995, we have had a strong and growing presence in Mexico through IEnova, the first energy infrastructure company to be listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange. IEnova has a diverse portfolio of projects and assets serving Mexico’s growing energy needs. Our energy infrastructure footprint continues to expand across North America, through LNG development projects and assets in Louisiana, Texas and Mexico, including our indirect 50.2% interest in Cameron LNG JV, which commenced commercial operation of the first of three liquefaction trains in August 2019.
In 2018, we announced a multi-phase portfolio optimization initiative designed to sharpen our strategic focus on North America. We have since executed on that initiative by completing the sales of our renewables businesses and our non-utility natural gas storage assets in the U.S., and by entering into agreements to sell our South American businesses. We expect to complete the sales of our South American businesses in the first half of 2020. We present the South American businesses as discontinued operations throughout this report.
Business Strategy
Our mission is to be North America’s premier energy infrastructure company. We are focused on generating stable, predictable earnings and cash flows by investing in, developing and operating electric and gas infrastructure with the goal of delivering safe and reliable energy to our customers and increasing shareholder value.
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS BY SEGMENT
We operate our business through the following reportable segments:
| ▪ | SDG&E |
| ▪ | SoCalGas |
| ▪ | Sempra Texas Utilities |
| ▪ | Sempra Mexico |
| ▪ | Sempra Renewables (until April 2019) |
| ▪ | Sempra LNG |
SDG&E
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides electric services to a population of approximately 3.7 million and natural gas services to approximately 3.4 million of that population, covering a 4,100 square mile service territory in Southern California that encompasses San Diego County and an adjacent portion of southern Orange County.
Electric Utility Operations
Electric Transmission and Distribution System. Service to SDG&E’s customers is supported by its electric transmission and distribution system, which includes substations and overhead and underground lines. These electric facilities are primarily in San Diego, Imperial and Orange counties of California, and in Arizona and Nevada and consist of 2,099 miles of transmission lines, 23,562 miles of distribution lines and 161 substations as of December 31, 2019. Periodically, various areas of the service territory require expansion to accommodate customer growth, reliability and safety.
SDG&E’s 500-kV Southwest Powerlink transmission line, which is shared with Arizona Public Service Company and Imperial Irrigation District, extends from Palo Verde, Arizona to San Diego, California. SDG&E’s share of the line is 1,162 MW, although it can be less under certain system conditions. SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink is a 500-kV transmission line constructed and operated by SDG&E with import capability of 1,000 MW of power.
Mexico’s Baja California transmission system is connected to SDG&E’s system via two 230-kV interconnections with combined capacity of up to 408 MW in the north-to-south direction and 800 MW in the south-to-north direction, although it can be less under certain system conditions.
Edison’s transmission system is connected to SDG&E’s system via five 230-kV transmission lines.
Electric Resources. To meet customer demand, SDG&E supplies power from its own electric generation facilities and procures power on a long-term basis from other suppliers for resale through CPUC-approved purchased-power contracts or through purchases on a spot basis. SDG&E does not earn any return on commodity sales volumes. SDG&E’s supply as of December 31, 2019 was as follows:
| SDG&E – ELECTRIC RESOURCES**(1)** | |||||
| Contract | Net operating | ||||
| expiration date | capacity (MW) | % of total | |||
| Owned generation facilities, natural gas(2) | 1,193 | 23 | % | ||
| Purchased-power contracts: | |||||
| Qualifying facilities | 2024 to 2026 | 132 | 3 | ||
| Renewables: | |||||
| Wind | 2023 to 2035 | 948 | 18 | ||
| Solar | 2030 to 2041 | 1,348 | 26 | ||
| Other | 2020 and thereafter | 340 | 7 | ||
| Tolling and other | 2022 to 2042 | 1,170 | 23 | ||
| Total | 5,131 | 100 | % |
| (1) | Excludes approximately 107.5 MW of battery storage owned and approximately 9.5 MW of battery storage contracted. |
| (2) | SDG&E owns and operates four natural gas-fired power plants, three of which are in California and one of which is in Nevada. |
SDG&E is required to interconnect with and purchase power from QFs, a class of generating facilities established by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, at rates that do not exceed SDG&E’s avoided cost. SDG&E’s QFs include cogeneration facilities, which produce electricity and another form of useful thermal energy (such as heat or steam) used for industrial, commercial, residential or institutional purposes. Charges under most of the contracts with QFs are based on what it would incrementally cost SDG&E to produce the power or procure it from other sources. Charges under the contracts with other suppliers are for firm and as-generated energy and are based on the amount of energy received or are tolls based on available capacity. Tolling contracts are purchased-power contracts under which SDG&E provides natural gas for generation to the energy supplier. The prices under these contracts include 125 MW at prices that are based on the market value at the time the contracts were negotiated.
SDG&E procures natural gas under short-term contracts for its owned generation facilities and for certain tolling contracts associated with purchased-power arrangements. Purchases are from various southwestern U.S. suppliers and are primarily priced based on published monthly bid-week indices.
SDG&E is a participant in the Western Systems Power Pool, which includes an electric-power and transmission-rate agreement that allows access to power trading with more than 300 member utilities, power agencies, energy brokers and power marketers located throughout the U.S. and Canada. Participants can make power transactions on standardized terms, including market-based rates, preapproved by the FERC. Participation in the Western Systems Power Pool is intended to assist members in managing power delivery and price risk.
Customers and Demand. SDG&E provides electric services through the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to the following customer classes:
| SDG&E – ELECTRIC CUSTOMER METERS AND VOLUMES | |||||||||
| Customer meter count | Volumes(1) (millions of kWh) | ||||||||
| December 31, | Years ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||
| Residential | 1,305,380 | 5,982 | 6,336 | 6,577 | |||||
| Commercial | 151,100 | 6,295 | 6,539 | 6,763 | |||||
| Industrial | 410 | 2,044 | 2,169 | 2,198 | |||||
| Street and highway lighting | 2,080 | 76 | 81 | 79 | |||||
| 1,458,970 | 14,397 | 15,125 | 15,617 | ||||||
| CCA and DA | 12,330 | 3,549 | 3,628 | 3,394 | |||||
| Total | 1,471,300 | 17,946 | 18,753 | 19,011 |
| (1) | Includes intercompany sales. |
San Diego’s mild climate and SDG&E’s robust energy efficiency programs contribute to lower consumption by our customers. Rooftop solar installations continue to reduce residential and commercial volumes sold by SDG&E. As of December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, the residential and commercial rooftop solar capacity in SDG&E’s territory totaled 1,233 MW, 1,023 MW and 836 MW, respectively.
Demand for electricity is dependent on the health and expansion of the Southern California economy, prices of alternative energy products, consumer preference, environmental regulations, legislation, renewable power generation, the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs, demand-side management impact and distributed generation resources. California’s energy policy supports increased electrification, particularly electrification of vehicles, which could result in significant increases in sales volumes in the coming years. Other external factors, such as the price of purchased power, the use of hydroelectric power, the use of and further development of renewable energy resources and energy storage, development of new natural gas supply sources, demand for natural gas and general economic conditions, can also result in significant shifts in the market price of electricity, which may in turn impact demand. Demand for electricity is also impacted by seasonal weather patterns (or “seasonality”), tending to increase in the summer months to meet cooling load and in the winter months to meet heating load.
Competition. SDG&E faces competition to serve its customer load from the growth in distributed and local power generation, including rooftop solar installations and battery storage, and the corresponding decrease in demand for power from departing retail load from customers transferring to load serving entities other than SDG&E. While SDG&E currently provides procurement service for the majority of its customer load, customers do have the ability to receive procurement service from a load serving entity other than SDG&E through programs such as DA and CCA. DA is currently limited by a cap based on gigawatt hours. Utility customers can also receive procurement through CCA, if the customer’s local jurisdiction (city) offers such a program. Several local political jurisdictions, including the City of San Diego and other municipalities, are considering implementing or are implementing a CCA, which could result in SDG&E providing procurement service for less than half of its current customer load as early as 2021. When customers are served by another load serving entity, SDG&E no longer procures electricity for this departing load and the associated costs of the utility’s procured resources could then be borne by SDG&E’s remaining bundled procurement customers. To help achieve the goal of ratepayer indifference (whether or not customers are served by DA or CCA), the CPUC revised the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment framework by adopting several refinements, which SDG&E implemented on January 1, 2019.
Natural Gas Utility Operations
We describe SDG&E’s natural gas utility operations below in “California Utilities’ Natural Gas Utility Operations.”
Key Noncash Performance Indicators
We use certain financial and non-financial metrics to measure how effective our businesses are in achieving their key business objectives. SDG&E’s key noncash performance indicators include goals related to safety (including activities designed to help reduce the risk of wildfires), number of customers, electricity sold, system average rate and natural gas volumes transported and sold. Additional noncash performance indicators include customer service, company reputation, environmental considerations (including quantities of renewable energy purchases), on-time and on-budget completion of major projects and initiatives, and service reliability.
SoCalGas
SoCalGas is a regulated public utility that owns and operates a natural gas distribution, transmission and storage system that supplies natural gas to a population of approximately 22 million, covering a 24,000 square mile service territory that encompasses Southern California and portions of central California (excluding San Diego County, the City of Long Beach and the desert area of San Bernardino County).
Natural Gas Utility Operations
We describe SoCalGas’ natural gas utility operations below in “California Utilities’ Natural Gas Utility Operations.”
Key Noncash Performance Indicators
Key noncash performance indicators for SoCalGas include goals related to safety, number of customers and natural gas volumes transported and sold. Additional noncash performance indicators include customer service, company reputation, environmental considerations, natural gas demand by customer segment, on-time and on-budget completion of major projects and initiatives, and service reliability.
California Utilities’ Natural Gas Utility Operations
Natural Gas Procurement and Transportation
At December 31, 2019, SoCalGas’ natural gas facilities include 3,058 miles of transmission and storage pipelines, 51,073 miles of distribution pipelines, 48,315 miles of service pipelines and nine transmission compressor stations, while SDG&E’s natural gas facilities consist of 168 miles of transmission pipelines, 8,961 miles of distribution pipelines, 6,582 miles of service pipelines and one compressor station.
SoCalGas purchases natural gas under short-term and long-term contracts for the California Utilities’ core customers. SoCalGas purchases natural gas from various sources, including from Canada, the U.S. Rockies and the southwestern regions of the U.S. Purchases of natural gas are primarily priced based on published monthly bid-week indices.
To help ensure the delivery of natural gas supplies to its distribution system and to meet the seasonal and annual needs of customers, SoCalGas has firm interstate pipeline capacity contracts that require the payment of fixed reservation charges to reserve firm transportation rights. Energy companies, primarily El Paso Natural Gas Company, Transwestern Pipeline Company and Kern River Gas Transmission Company, provide transportation services into SoCalGas’ intrastate transmission system for supplies purchased by SoCalGas or its transportation customers from outside of California.
Natural Gas Storage
SoCalGas owns four natural gas storage facilities with a combined working gas capacity of 137 Bcf and over 200 injection, withdrawal and observation wells that provide natural gas storage services for core, noncore and non-end-use customers. SoCalGas’ and SDG&E’s core customers are allocated a portion of SoCalGas’ storage capacity. SoCalGas offers the remaining storage capacity for sale to others, including SDG&E for its non-core customer requirements. Natural gas withdrawn from storage is important for ensuring service reliability during peak demand periods, including heating needs in the winter, as well as peak electric generation needs in the summer. The Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility has a storage capacity of 86 Bcf and, subject to the CPUC limitations described below, represents 63% of SoCalGas’ natural gas storage capacity. SoCalGas discovered a natural gas leak at one of its wells at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in October 2015 and permanently sealed the well in February 2016. SoCalGas was subsequently authorized to make limited withdrawals and injections of natural gas at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility and, as of July 2018, has been directed by the CPUC to maintain up to 34 Bcf of working gas to help achieve reliability for the region at reasonable rates as determined by the CPUC. In July 2019, to maintain system reliability and price stability, the CPUC issued a protocol authorizing withdrawals of natural gas from the facility if gas
supply is low in the region. We discuss the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility leak in Note 16 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and in “Item 7. MD&A – Capital Resources and Liquidity – SoCalGas.”
Customers and Demand
SoCalGas and SDG&E sell, distribute and transport natural gas. SoCalGas purchases and stores natural gas for its core customers in its territory and SDG&E’s territory on a combined portfolio basis. SoCalGas also offers natural gas transportation and storage services for others.
| CALIFORNIA UTILITIES – NATURAL GAS CUSTOMER METERS AND VOLUMES | |||||||||
| Customer meter count | Volumes (Bcf)(1) | ||||||||
| December 31, | Years ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2019 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | ||||||
| SDG&E: | |||||||||
| Residential | 862,810 | ||||||||
| Commercial | 28,870 | ||||||||
| Electric generation and transportation | 3,110 | ||||||||
| Natural gas sales | 45 | 40 | 40 | ||||||
| Transportation | 26 | 28 | 35 | ||||||
| Total | 894,790 | 71 | 68 | 75 | |||||
| SoCalGas: | |||||||||
| Residential | 5,755,780 | ||||||||
| Commercial | 248,320 | ||||||||
| Industrial | 25,110 | ||||||||
| Electric generation and wholesale | 40 | ||||||||
| Natural gas sales | 329 | 297 | 301 | ||||||
| Transportation | 547 | 553 | 603 | ||||||
| Total | 6,029,250 | 876 | 850 | 904 |
| (1) | Includes intercompany sales. |
For regulatory purposes, end-use customers are classified as either core or noncore customers. Core customers are primarily residential and small commercial and industrial customers.
Most core customers purchase natural gas directly from SoCalGas or SDG&E. While core customers are permitted to purchase directly from producers, marketers or brokers, the California Utilities are obligated to provide reliable supplies of natural gas to serve the requirements of their core customers. A substantial portion of SoCalGas’ and SDG&E’s revenues are from core customers.
Noncore customers at SoCalGas consist primarily of electric generation, wholesale, and large commercial and industrial customers. A portion of SoCalGas’ noncore customers are non-end-users. SoCalGas’ non-end-users include wholesale customers consisting primarily of other utilities, including SDG&E, or municipally owned natural gas distribution systems. Noncore customers at SDG&E consist primarily of electric generation and large commercial customers.
Noncore customers are responsible for the procurement of their natural gas requirements, as the regulatory framework does not allow us to recover the cost of natural gas procured and delivered to noncore customers.
Demand for natural gas largely depends on the health and expansion of the Southern California economy, prices of alternative energy products, consumer preference, environmental regulations, legislation, California’s energy policy supporting increased electrification and renewable power generation, and the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs. Other external factors such as weather, the price of electricity, the use of hydroelectric power, the use of and further development of renewable energy resources and energy storage, development of new natural gas supply sources, demand for natural gas outside California, and general economic conditions can also result in significant shifts in market price, which may in turn impact demand.
One of the larger sources for natural gas demand is electric generation. Natural gas-fired electric generation within Southern California (and demand for natural gas supplied to such plants) competes with electric power generated throughout the western U.S. Natural gas transported for electric generating plant customers may be affected by the overall demand for electricity, growth in self-generation from rooftop solar, the addition of more efficient gas technologies, new energy efficiency initiatives, and the extent that regulatory changes in electric transmission infrastructure investment divert electric generation from the California
Utilities’ respective service areas. The demand for natural gas may also fluctuate due to volatility in the demand for electricity due to climate change, weather conditions and other impacts, and the availability of competing supplies of electricity such as hydroelectric generation and other renewable energy sources. Given the significant quantity of natural gas-fired generation, natural gas is the dispatchable fuel of choice to help ensure electric reliability in our California service territories.
The natural gas distribution business is seasonal, and cash provided from operating activities generally is greater during and immediately following the winter heating months. As is prevalent in the industry, but subject to current regulatory limitations, SoCalGas usually injects natural gas into storage during the summer months (April through October), which reduces cash provided by operating activities during this period, and usually withdraws natural gas from storage during the winter months (November through March), which increases cash provided by operating activities, when customer demand is higher.
Sempra Texas Utilities
Sempra Texas Utilities is comprised of our equity method investments in Oncor Holdings, which we acquired in March 2018, and Sharyland Holdings, which we acquired in May 2019. We discuss these acquisitions in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Oncor Holdings is a direct, wholly owned entity of Sempra Texas Intermediate Holding Company LLC and, at December 31, 2019, owns an 80.25% interest in Oncor. TTI owns the remaining 19.75% interest in Oncor. Sempra Energy owns an indirect, 50% interest in Sharyland Holdings, which owns a 100% interest in Sharyland Utilities.
Certain ring-fencing measures, existing governance mechanisms and commitments, which we describe in “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” remain in effect following the Merger and are intended to enhance Oncor Holdings’ and Oncor’s separateness from their owners and to mitigate the risk that these entities would be negatively impacted by the bankruptcy of, or other adverse financial developments affecting, their owners. Sempra Energy does not control Oncor Holdings or Oncor, and the ring-fencing measures, governance mechanisms and commitments limit our ability to direct the management, policies and operations of Oncor Holdings and Oncor, including the deployment or disposition of their assets, declarations of dividends, strategic planning and other important corporate issues and actions. These limitations include limited representation on the Oncor Holdings and Oncor boards of directors, as Oncor Holdings and Oncor will continue to have a majority of independent directors. Thus, Oncor Holdings and Oncor will continue to be managed independently (i.e., ring-fenced). As such, we account for our 100% ownership interest in Oncor Holdings as an equity method investment. See Note 6 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information about our equity method investment in Oncor Holdings.
Oncor
Oncor is a regulated electric transmission and distribution utility that operates in the north-central, eastern, western and panhandle regions of Texas. Oncor provides the essential service of delivering electricity to end-use consumers through its transmission and distribution systems, as well as providing transmission grid connections to merchant generation facilities and interconnections to other transmission grids in Texas.
At December 31, 2019, Oncor had approximately 4,165 full-time employees, including approximately 745 employees under collective bargaining agreements.
Electricity Transmission. Oncor’s electricity transmission business is responsible for the safe and reliable operations of its transmission network and substations. These responsibilities consist of the construction and maintenance of transmission facilities and substations and the monitoring, controlling and dispatching of high-voltage electricity over its transmission facilities in coordination with ERCOT, which we discuss below in “Regulation – ERCOT Market.”
At December 31, 2019, Oncor’s transmission system included approximately 17,799 circuit miles of transmission lines, 349 transmission stations and 775 distribution substations, which are interconnected to 100 generation facilities totaling 40,687 MW.
Transmission revenues are provided under tariffs approved by either the PUCT or, to a small degree related to limited interconnection to other markets, the FERC. Network transmission revenues compensate Oncor for delivery of electricity over transmission facilities operating at 60 kV and above. Other services offered by Oncor through its transmission business include system impact studies, facilities studies, transformation service and maintenance of transformer equipment, substations and transmission lines owned by other parties.
Electricity Distribution. Oncor’s electricity distribution business is responsible for the overall safe and reliable operation of distribution facilities, including electricity delivery, power quality and system reliability. These responsibilities consist of the ownership, management, construction, maintenance and operation of the distribution system within its certificated service area. Oncor’s distribution system receives electricity from the transmission system through substations and distributes electricity to end-users and wholesale customers through 3,594 distribution feeders.
Oncor’s distribution system included more than 3.6 million points of delivery at December 31, 2019 and consisted of approximately 121,747 miles of overhead lines and underground lines.
Distribution revenues from residential and small business users are based on actual monthly consumption (kWh) and, depending on size and annual load factor, revenues from large commercial and industrial users are based either on actual monthly demand (kW) or the greater of actual monthly demand (kW) or 80% of peak monthly demand during the prior eleven months.
Customers and Demand. Oncor operates the largest transmission and distribution system in Texas. Oncor delivers electricity to more than 3.6 million homes and businesses in a territory with an estimated population in excess of 10 million and operates more than 139,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines as of December 31, 2019. The consumers of the electricity Oncor delivers are free to choose their electricity supplier from retail electric providers who compete for their business. Accordingly, Oncor is not a seller of electricity, nor does it purchase electricity for resale. Rather, Oncor provides transmission services to its electricity distribution business as well as non-affiliated electricity distribution companies, cooperatives and municipalities and distribution services to retail electric providers that sell electricity to retail customers. At December 31, 2019, Oncor’s distribution customers consisted of approximately 90 retail electric providers and certain electric cooperatives in its certificated service area.
Oncor’s service territory includes over 120 counties and more than 400 incorporated municipalities, including Dallas/Fort Worth and surrounding suburbs, as well as Waco, Wichita Falls, Odessa, Midland, Tyler and Killeen. Most of Oncor’s power lines have been constructed over lands of others pursuant to easements or along public highways, streets and rights-of-way as permitted by law.
Oncor’s revenues and results of operations are subject to seasonality, weather conditions and other electricity usage drivers, with revenues being highest in the summer.
Competition. Oncor operates in certificated areas designated by the PUCT. The majority of Oncor’s service territory is single certificated, with Oncor as the only certificated transmission and distribution provider. However, in multi-certificated areas of Texas, Oncor competes with certain utilities and rural electric cooperatives for the right to serve end-use customers.
Sharyland Utilities
Sharyland Utilities is a regulated electric transmission utility that, as of December 31, 2019, owns and operates approximately 65 miles of electric transmission lines in south Texas, including a direct current line connecting Mexico and assets in McAllen, Texas. Sharyland Utilities is responsible for providing safe, reliable and efficient transmission and substation services and investing to support infrastructure needs throughout the ERCOT grid, which we discuss below in “Regulation – ERCOT Market.” Transmission revenues are provided under tariffs approved by the PUCT.
Sempra Mexico
Our Sempra Mexico segment includes the operating companies of our subsidiary, IEnova, as well as certain holding companies and risk management activities. IEnova develops, owns and operates, or holds interests in, energy infrastructure in Mexico in two key energy markets: gas and power. IEnova’s gas business offers pipeline services for natural gas, LPG and ethane, as well as storage for LNG and LPG and distribution of natural gas. Currently, IEnova is constructing marine and land terminals for the receipt, storage and delivery of liquid fuels. In its power business, IEnova operates a natural-gas-fired combined-cycle plant and wind and solar power generation facilities, and is constructing additional wind and solar power generation facilities.
Sempra Energy owns 66.6% of IEnova as of December 31, 2019, with the remaining shares held by NCI and traded on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the symbol IENOVA. The Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission (Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores, or CNBV) regulates the shares, which are registered with the Mexican National Securities Registry (Registro Nacional de Valores) maintained by the CNBV.
Gas Business
Pipelines and Related Assets/Facilities. At December 31, 2019, Sempra Mexico’s assets/facilities consisted of 1,850 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, 13 compressor stations, 139 miles of ethane pipelines, 118 miles of LPG pipelines and one LPG storage terminal in Mexico. These assets are contracted under long-term, U.S. dollar-based agreements with major industry participants such as the CFE, CENAGAS, PEMEX, Shell, Gazprom, Saavi Energy Solutions, LLC and other similar counterparties.
At December 31, 2019, our pipeline assets in Mexico had design capacity of approximately 16,501 MMcf per day of natural gas, 204 MMcf per day of ethane gas, 106,000 barrels per day of ethane liquid, 34,000 barrels per day of LPG transmission and 80,000 barrels of LPG storage.
LNG Regasification. Sempra Mexico operates its ECA LNG Regasification facility on land it owns in Baja California, Mexico. The ECA LNG Regasification facility is capable of processing one Bcf of natural gas per day and generates revenues from reservation and usage fees under terminal capacity agreements and nitrogen injection service agreements with Shell and Gazprom, expiring in 2028, that permit them, together, to use one-half of the terminal’s capacity.
Sempra LNG has an agreement with Sempra Mexico to supply LNG to the ECA LNG Regasification facility. In connection with Sempra LNG’s purchase agreement with Tangguh PSC, Sempra Mexico purchases from Sempra LNG the LNG delivered by Tangguh PSC to the ECA LNG Regasification facility. Sempra Mexico uses the natural gas produced from this LNG and natural gas purchased in the market or through Sempra LNG’s marketing operations to supply a contract for the sale of natural gas to Mexico’s national electric company, the CFE, at prices that are based on the SoCal Border index. If LNG volumes received from Tangguh PSC are not sufficient to satisfy the commitment to the CFE, Sempra Mexico may purchase natural gas from Sempra LNG’s marketing operations.
Although the LNG purchase agreement with Tangguh PSC specifies a number of cargoes to be delivered annually, actual cargoes delivered have been significantly lower than the maximum specified under the agreement. As a result, Sempra LNG is contractually required to make monthly indemnity payments to Sempra Mexico for failure to deliver the contracted LNG.
The LNG regasification business is impacted by worldwide LNG market prices. High LNG prices in markets outside the market in which Sempra Mexico’s ECA LNG Regasification facility operates have resulted and could continue to result in lower than expected deliveries of LNG cargoes to the ECA LNG Regasification facility, which could increase costs if Sempra Mexico is instead required to obtain LNG in the open market at prevailing prices. Any inability to obtain expected LNG cargoes could also impact Sempra Mexico’s ability to maintain the minimum level of LNG required to keep the ECA LNG Regasification facility in operation at the proper temperature. Prices in international LNG markets through which Sempra Mexico must purchase natural gas to meet its contractual obligations to deliver natural gas to customers may also affect Sempra Mexico’s LNG marketing operations, which could have an adverse impact on its earnings, but may be mitigated in part by the indemnity payments discussed above.
Sempra Mexico’s LNG marketing operations sell natural gas to the CFE and other customers under supply agreements. Sempra Mexico recognizes the revenue from the sale of natural gas upon transfer of the natural gas via pipelines to the customers at the agreed upon delivery points, and in the case of the CFE, at its thermoelectric power plants.
Natural Gas Distribution. Sempra Mexico’s natural gas distribution regulated utility, Ecogas, operates in three separate distribution zones in Mexico with approximately 2,571 miles of pipeline, and had approximately 132,000 customer meters (serving more than 425,000 residential, commercial and industrial consumers) with sales volume of approximately eight MMcf per day in 2019.
Ecogas relies on supply and transportation services from Sempra LNG and SoCalGas for the natural gas that it distributes to its customers. If these affiliates fail to perform and Ecogas is unable to obtain supplies of natural gas from alternate sources, Ecogas could lose customers and sales volume and could also be exposed to commodity price risk and volatility.
Ecogas faces competition from other distributors of natural gas in each of its three distribution zones in Mexicali, Chihuahua and La Laguna-Durango as other distributors of natural gas build or consider building natural gas distribution systems.
Power Business
Renewable Power Generation. Sempra Mexico develops, invests in and operates renewable energy generation facilities that have long-term PPAs to sell the electricity they generate to its customers, which are generally load serving entities, as well as industrial and other customers. Load serving entities sell electric service to their end-users and wholesale customers upon receipt of our power delivery, while industrial and other customers consume the electricity to run their facilities. At December 31, 2019, Sempra Mexico had a fully contracted, total nameplate capacity of 658 MW related to its fully operating wind and solar energy generation facilities.
Natural Gas-Fired Generation. TdM is a 625-MW natural gas-fired power plant located in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico that generates revenue from selling electricity and/or resource adequacy to the California ISO and to governmental, public utility and wholesale power marketing entities. It also has an EMA with Sempra LNG for energy marketing, scheduling and other related services to support its sales of generated power into the California electricity market. Under the EMA, TdM pays fees to Sempra LNG for these revenue-generating services. TdM also purchases fuel from Sempra LNG. Sempra Mexico records revenue for the sale of power generated by TdM and records cost of sales for the purchases of natural gas and energy management services provided by Sempra LNG.
TdM competes daily with other generating plants that supply power into the California electricity market. Several of the wholesale markets supplied by merchant power plants have experienced significant pricing declines due to excess supply. IEnova
manages commodity price risk at TdM by optimizing a mix of forward on-peak energy sales, daily and hourly spot market sales of capacity, energy and ancillary services, and longer-term structured transactions, and by avoiding short positions.
Demand and Competition
The overall demand for natural gas distribution services increases during the winter months, while the overall demand for electricity increases during the summer months.
IEnova competes with Mexican and foreign companies for certain new energy infrastructure projects in Mexico. Some of its competitors (including public or state-operated companies and their affiliates) may have better access to capital and greater financial and other resources, which could give them a competitive advantage in bidding for such projects.
Sempra Mexico’s pipeline and storage facilities businesses compete with other regulated and unregulated pipeline and storage facilities. They compete primarily on the basis of price (in terms of storage and transportation fees), available capacity and interconnections to downstream markets.
Sempra Mexico’s gas business competitors include, among others:
| § | Bulkmatic Transport Company, Inc. | § | Glencore plc |
| § | CENAGAS | § | Kinder Morgan, Inc. |
| § | Corporativo Lodemo, S.A. de C.V. | § | Monterra Energy LLC |
| § | Engie S.A. | § | PEMEX |
| § | Fermaca Global LP | § | TC Energy Corporation |
Generation from Sempra Mexico’s renewable energy assets is susceptible to fluctuations in naturally occurring conditions such as wind, inclement weather and hours of sunlight. Because Sempra Mexico sells power that it generates at its Energía Sierra Juárez wind power generation facility into California, Sempra Mexico’s future performance and the demand for renewable energy may be impacted by U.S. state mandated requirements to deliver a portion of total energy load from renewable energy sources. The rules governing these requirements in California are generally known as the RPS Program. In California, certification of a generation project by the CEC as an ERR allows the purchase of output from such generation facility to be counted towards fulfillment of the RPS Program requirements, if such purchase meets the provisions of SB X1-2. The RPS Program may affect the demand for output from renewables projects developed by Sempra Mexico, particularly the demand from California’s utilities. We expect to receive ERR certification for all our Sempra Mexico renewable facilities providing power to California as they become operational.
Sempra Mexico’s power business competitors include, among others:
| § | Acciona S.A. | § | Pattern Energy Group, Inc. |
| § | Engie S.A. | § | Salka Energy |
| § | Enel SpA | § | Terra-Gen, LLC |
| § | Iberdrola S.A. |
Key Noncash Performance Indicators
Key noncash performance indicators for Sempra Mexico include sales volume, plant or facility availability, capacity utilization and, for its distribution operations, customer count and consumption. Additional noncash performance indicators include obtaining and completing (on time and on budget) major projects, compliance with reliability and regulatory standards, and goals related to safety, environmental considerations and regulatory performance.
Sempra Renewables
Sempra Renewables developed, owned and operated, or held interests in, wind energy generation facilities in the U.S. that had long-term PPAs to sell the electricity and the related green energy attributes they generated to its customers, which were generally load serving entities.
In December 2018, Sempra Renewables completed the sale of its solar assets, solar and battery storage development projects, as well as its ownership interest in one wind facility, to a subsidiary of Con Ed. In April 2019, Sempra Renewables completed the sale of its remaining wind assets and investments to AEP. Upon completion of the sales, remaining nominal business activities at Sempra Renewables were subsumed into Parent and other and the Sempra Renewables segment ceased to exist. We provide additional information about these sales in Notes 5 and 12 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Sempra LNG
Sempra LNG develops projects for the export of LNG, holds an interest in a facility for the export of LNG, owns and operates natural gas pipelines, and buys, sells and transports natural gas through its marketing operations, all within the U.S. and Mexico.
LNG Liquefaction
Cameron LNG JV. Sempra LNG and three project co-owners (TOTAL S.A., Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and Japan LNG Investment, LLC, a company jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha) hold interests in Cameron LNG JV for the development, construction and operation of a three-train natural gas liquefaction export facility at the existing Cameron LNG, LLC facility formerly used for regasification in Hackberry, Louisiana, a project developed and permitted by Sempra LNG. Sempra LNG accounts for its 50.2% equity interest in Cameron LNG JV under the equity method.
In August 2019, commercial operation of Train 1 commenced under Cameron LNG JV’s tolling agreements. In February 2020, Train 2 reached substantial completion and we expect to commence commercial operation in the coming days. We believe it is reasonable to expect Train 3 will commence commercial operation in the third quarter of 2020.
The three liquefaction trains are designed to have a nameplate capacity of 13.9 Mtpa of LNG with an expected export capability of 12 Mtpa of LNG, or approximately 1.7 Bcf per day. Cameron LNG JV has 20-year liquefaction and regasification tolling capacity agreements in place with affiliates of TOTAL S.A., Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., which subscribe the full nameplate capacity of three trains at the facility. In addition, Cameron LNG JV is working on the development of up to two additional trains. We discuss Cameron LNG JV in Note 6 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and the construction of the first three trains and the potential for an additional two trains in “Item 7. MD&A – Capital Resources and Liquidity – Sempra LNG” and in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
Demand and Competition. Technological advances associated with shale gas and tight oil production have significantly reduced the need for North American LNG import facilities and increased interest in liquefaction and export opportunities.
At current forward gas prices, U.S. Gulf Coast liquefaction is one of the most price competitive potential LNG supply in the world, resulting from many factors, including:
| ▪ | high levels of developed and undeveloped North American unconventional natural gas and tight oil resources relative to domestic consumption levels; |
| ▪ | increasing gas and oil drilling productivity and decreasing unit costs of gas production; |
| ▪ | low breakeven prices of marginal North American unconventional gas production; and |
| ▪ | proximity to ample existing gas transmission pipeline and underground gas storage capacity. |
Brownfield liquefaction is particularly price competitive due to existing LNG tankage and berths.
Global LNG competition may limit U.S. LNG exports, as international liquefaction projects attempt to match U.S. Gulf Coast LNG production costs and customer contractual rights such as volume and destination flexibility. It is expected that U.S. LNG exports will increase competition for current and future global natural gas demand, and thereby facilitate development of a global commodity market for natural gas and LNG.
Our LNG liquefaction business’ major domestic and international competitors currently include, among others, the following companies and their related LNG affiliates:
| § | Annova LNG | § | LNG Limited |
| § | Cheniere Energy | § | Next Decade |
| § | Energy Transfer | § | Pembina Resources |
| § | Freeport LNG | § | Tellurian Inc. |
| § | Golden Pass LNG | § | Venture Global Partners |
Additionally, our Cameron LNG JV co-owners and customers compete globally to market and sell LNG to end users, including gas and electric utilities located in LNG importing countries around the world. By providing liquefaction services, Cameron LNG JV competes indirectly with liquefaction projects currently operating and those under development in the global LNG market. In addition to the U.S., these competitors are located in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, Australia and Europe.
Midstream
Sempra LNG has a 40-mile natural gas pipeline in south Louisiana. The Cameron Interstate Pipeline links the Cameron LNG facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, to five interstate pipelines that connect to major markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast U.S.
In February 2019, Sempra LNG completed the sale of its non-utility natural gas storage assets in the southeast U.S. (comprised of Mississippi Hub and Bay Gas) to an affiliate of ArcLight Capital Partners. Upon completion of the sale, Sempra LNG has no operational natural gas storage capacity.
Demand and Competition. Sempra LNG’s pipeline business competes with other regulated and unregulated pipelines, primarily on the basis of price (in terms of transportation fees), available capacity and interconnections to downstream markets.
Marketing Operations
Sempra LNG provides natural gas marketing, trading and risk management services through the utilization and optimization of contracted LNG, natural gas supply and transportation, as well as by optimizing its assets in the short-term services market. Additionally, it sells electricity under short-term and long-term contracts and into the spot market and other competitive markets.
Sempra LNG’s marketing operations have an LNG sale and purchase agreement with Tangguh PSC for the supply of the equivalent of 500 MMcf of natural gas per day from Tangguh PSC’s Indonesian liquefaction facility with delivery to Sempra Mexico’s ECA LNG Regasification facility at a price based on the SoCal Border index for natural gas. The LNG purchase agreement allows Tangguh PSC to divert certain LNG volumes to other global markets in exchange for cash differential payments to Sempra LNG. Sempra LNG may also enter into short-term supply agreements to purchase LNG to be received, stored and regasified at the terminal for sale to other parties.
Sempra LNG is contracted to sell LNG or, if deliveries of LNG cargoes are not sufficient, natural gas, to Sempra Mexico that allows Sempra Mexico to satisfy its obligation under supply agreements with the CFE, TdM and other customers. These revenues are adjusted for indemnity payments and profit sharing, as discussed in “Sempra Mexico – Gas Business – LNG Regasification” above.
Sempra LNG also has an EMA with Sempra Mexico to provide energy marketing, scheduling and other related services to Sempra Mexico’s TdM power plant to support its sales of generated power into the California electricity market. We discuss the EMA in “Sempra Mexico – Power Business – Natural Gas-Fired Generation” above.
Key Noncash Performance Indicators
Key noncash performance indicators at Sempra LNG include natural gas sales volume, plant or facility availability and capacity utilization. Additional noncash performance indicators include goals related to safety, environmental considerations and regulatory compliance, and on-time and on-budget completion of development projects.
Discontinued Operations
In January 2019, our board of directors approved a plan to sell our South American businesses, which previously constituted our Sempra South American Utilities segment. These businesses include our 100% interest in Chilquinta Energía in Chile, our 83.6% interest in Luz del Sur in Peru and our interests in two energy-services companies, Tecnored and Tecsur, which provide electric construction and infrastructure services to Chilquinta Energía and Luz del Sur, respectively, as well as third parties. These businesses and certain activities associated with these businesses are presented as discontinued operations, as the sales represent a strategic shift that will have a major effect on our operations and financial results. We do not plan to have significant continuing involvement in or be able to exercise significant influence on the operating or financial policies of these operations after they are sold.
Chilquinta Energía is an electricity distribution utility in Chile, with an approximate 9% share of the market at December 31, 2019, serving a population of approximately 2 million in the regions of Valparaíso and Maule in central Chile, with a service area covering approximately 4,100 square miles. Chilquinta Energía also owns a 50% interest in Eletrans, which is engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of power transmission facilities in Chile. Luz del Sur is an electric distribution utility that serves a population of approximately 4.9 million in the southern zone of metropolitan Lima, Peru, with a service area covering approximately 1,400 square miles. Luz del Sur indirectly owns and operates Santa Teresa, a 100-MW hydroelectric power plant located in the Cusco region of Peru. Luz del Sur delivers approximately 30% of all power used in Peru.
Chilquinta Energía and Luz del Sur serve primarily regulated customers and recognize revenues based on tariffs that are set by the CNE in Chile and the OSINERGMIN in Peru that are based on an efficient model distribution company defined by those agencies
and intended to cover the costs of the model company. Because the tariffs are not based on the costs of the specific utility, they may not result in full cost recovery. The tariffs are designed to provide for a pass-through to customers of transmission and energy charges, recovery of reasonable operating and administrative costs, incentives to reduce costs and make needed capital investments and a regulated rate of return on the distributor’s regulated asset base.
The CNE’s review process for authorized distribution and transmission rates generally remains in effect for a period of four years. The CNE reviews rates for four-year periods related to distribution and transmission separately on an alternating basis every two years. The components of tariffs for Luz del Sur are reviewed and adjusted every four years.
In September 2019, we entered into an agreement to sell our equity interests in our Peruvian businesses for an aggregate base purchase price of $3.59 billion, subject to customary closing adjustments for working capital and changes in net indebtedness. In October 2019, we entered into an agreement to sell our equity interests in our Chilean businesses for an aggregate base purchase price of $2.23 billion, subject to customary adjustments for working capital and changes in net indebtedness and other adjustments. We expect the sales to close in the first half of 2020.
We provide further information about discontinued operations in Note 5 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
REGULATION
California State Utility Regulation
The California Utilities are principally regulated at the state level by the CPUC, CEC and CARB.
The CPUC:
| ▪ | consists of five commissioners appointed by the Governor of California for staggered, six-year terms; |
| ▪ | regulates SDG&E’s and SoCalGas’ rates and conditions of service, sales of securities, rates of return, capital structure, rates of depreciation, and long-term resource procurement, except as described below in “U.S. Utility Regulation;” |
| ▪ | has jurisdiction over the proposed construction of major new electric generation, transmission and distribution, and natural gas storage, transmission and distribution facilities in California; |
| ▪ | conducts reviews and audits of utility performance and compliance with regulatory guidelines and conducts investigations into various matters, such as safety, deregulation, competition and the environment, to determine its future policies; and |
| ▪ | regulates the interactions and transactions of the California Utilities with Sempra Energy and its other affiliates. |
The CPUC also oversees and regulates other products and services, including solar and wind energy, bioenergy, alternative energy storage and other forms of renewable energy. In addition, the CPUC’s safety and enforcement role includes inspections, investigations and penalty and citation processes for safety violations.
The CEC publishes electric demand forecasts for the state and for specific service territories. Based on these forecasts, the CEC:
| ▪ | determines the need for additional energy sources and conservation programs; |
| ▪ | sponsors alternative-energy research and development projects; |
| ▪ | promotes energy conservation programs to reduce demand for natural gas and electricity within California; |
| ▪ | maintains a statewide plan of action in case of energy shortages; and |
| ▪ | certifies power-plant sites and related facilities within California. |
The CEC conducts a 20-year forecast of available supplies and prices for every market sector that consumes natural gas in California. This forecast includes resource evaluation, pipeline capacity needs, natural gas demand and wellhead prices, and costs of transportation and distribution. This analysis is one of many resource materials used to support the California Utilities’ long-term investment decisions.
California requires certain of its electric retail sellers, including SDG&E, to deliver a significant percentage of their retail energy sales from renewable energy sources. The rules governing this requirement, administered by both the CPUC and the CEC, are generally known as the RPS Program.
AB 32, the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, assigns responsibility to CARB for monitoring and establishing policies for reducing GHG emissions. The law requires CARB to develop and adopt a comprehensive plan for achieving real, quantifiable and cost-effective GHG emission reductions, including a statewide GHG emissions cap, mandatory reporting rules, and regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve reductions of GHG emissions. CARB is a department within the California Environmental Protection Agency, an organization that reports directly to the Governor’s Office. Sempra LNG and Sempra Mexico are also subject to the rules and regulations of CARB.
The operation and maintenance of SoCalGas’ natural gas storage facilities are regulated by CalGEM, as well as various other state and local agencies.
Texas State Utility Regulation
Oncor’s and Sharyland Utilities’ transmission and distribution rates are regulated at the state and city level by the PUCT and certain cities. The PUCT has original jurisdiction over transmission and distribution rates and services in unincorporated areas and in those municipalities that have ceded original jurisdiction to the PUCT, and has exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review the rate and service orders and ordinances of municipalities. Generally, the Texas PURA prohibits the collection of any rates or charges by a public utility (as defined by PURA) that do not have the prior approval of the appropriate regulatory authority (i.e., the PUCT or the municipality with original jurisdiction).
At the state level, PURA requires owners or operators of transmission facilities to provide open-access wholesale transmission services to third parties at rates and terms that are nondiscriminatory and comparable to the rates and terms of the utility’s own use of its system. The PUCT has adopted rules implementing the state open-access requirements for all utilities that are subject to the PUCT’s jurisdiction over transmission services, including Oncor.
U.S. Utility Regulation
The California Utilities are also regulated at the federal level by the FERC, the NRC, the EPA, the DOE and the DOT.
The FERC regulates the California Utilities’ interstate sale and transportation of natural gas and the application of the uniform systems of accounts. In the case of SDG&E, the FERC also regulates the transmission and wholesale sales of electricity in interstate commerce, transmission access, rates of return on transmission investment, rates of depreciation and electric rates involving sales for resale. The Energy Policy Act governs procedures for requests for transmission service. The California IOUs’ transmission facilities are under the operational control of the California ISO. Oncor and Sharyland Utilities operate within the ERCOT market, which we discuss below. To a small degree related to limited interconnections to other markets, Oncor’s transmission revenues are provided under tariffs approved by the FERC.
The NRC oversees the licensing, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities in the U.S., including SONGS, in which SDG&E owns a 20% interest and which was permanently retired in 2013. NRC and various state regulations require extensive review of the safety, radiological and environmental aspects of these facilities. We provide further discussion of SONGS matters, including the closure and pending decommissioning of the facility, in Note 15 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
The EPA implements federal laws to protect human health and the environment, including federal laws on air quality, water quality, wastewater discharge, solid waste management, and hazardous waste disposal and remediation. The EPA also sets national environmental standards that state and tribal governments implement through their own regulations. The California Utilities, Oncor and Sharyland Utilities are therefore subject to an interrelated framework of environmental laws and regulations.
The DOT, through PHMSA, has established regulations regarding engineering standards and operating procedures applicable to the California Utilities’ natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines, as well as natural gas storage facilities. The DOT has certified the CPUC to administer oversight and compliance with these regulations for the entities they regulate in California. See “Other U.S. Regulation” below.
ERCOT Market
Oncor and Sharyland Utilities operate within the ERCOT market, which represents approximately 90% of the electricity consumption in Texas. ERCOT is the regional reliability coordinating organization for member electricity systems in Texas and the ISO of the interconnected transmission grid for those systems. ERCOT is responsible for ensuring reliability, adequacy and security of the electric systems, as well as nondiscriminatory access to transmission service by all wholesale market participants in the ERCOT region. ERCOT’s membership consists of corporate and associate members, including electric cooperatives, municipal power agencies, independent generators, independent power marketers, transmission service providers, distribution services providers, independent retail electric providers and consumers.
The PUCT has primary jurisdiction over the ERCOT market to ensure the adequacy and reliability of power supply across Texas’ main interconnected transmission grid. Oncor and Sharyland Utilities, along with other owners of transmission and distribution facilities in Texas, assist the ERCOT ISO in its operations. Each of these Texas utilities has planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance responsibility for the portion of the transmission grid and for the load-serving substations it owns, primarily within its certificated distribution service area. Each participates with the ERCOT ISO and other ERCOT utilities in obtaining regulatory approvals and planning, designing, constructing and upgrading transmission lines in order to remove existing
constraints and interconnect generation on the ERCOT transmission grid. The transmission line projects are necessary to meet reliability needs, support energy production and increase bulk power transfer capability.
Oncor and Sharyland Utilities are subject to reliability standards adopted and enforced by the Texas Reliability Entity, Inc., an independent organization that develops reliability standards for the ERCOT region and monitors and enforces compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (including critical infrastructure protection) standards and ERCOT protocols.
Other State and Local Regulation Within the U.S.
The SCAQMD is the air pollution control agency responsible for regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the South Coast Air Basin in Southern California. The district’s territory covers all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
SDG&E has electric franchises with the two counties and the 27 cities in or adjoining its electric service territory, and natural gas franchises with the one county and the 18 cities in its natural gas service territory. These franchises allow SDG&E to locate, operate and maintain facilities for the transmission and distribution of natural gas and/or electricity. Most of the franchises have indefinite lives with no expiration dates. Some of SDG&E’s natural gas and electric franchises have fixed expiration dates that range from 2021 to 2035, including the City of San Diego, which is scheduled to expire in January 2021. The City of San Diego has launched the process to reevaluate SDG&E’s natural gas and electric franchises, consistent with the terms of the City Charter.
SoCalGas has natural gas franchises with the 12 counties and the 223 cities in its service territory. These franchises allow SoCalGas to locate, operate and maintain facilities for the transmission and distribution of natural gas. Most of the franchises have indefinite lives with no expiration date. Some franchises have fixed expiration dates, ranging from 2020 to 2069.
Other U.S. Regulation
The FERC regulates certain Sempra LNG assets pursuant to the Federal Power Act and Natural Gas Act, which provide for FERC jurisdiction over, among other things, sales of wholesale power in interstate commerce, transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, and siting and permitting of LNG facilities.
Sempra LNG’s investment in Cameron LNG JV is subject to regulations of the DOE regarding the export of LNG.
The FERC may regulate rates and terms of service based on a cost-of-service approach or, in geographic and product markets determined by the FERC to be sufficiently competitive, rates may be market-based. FERC-regulated rates at Sempra LNG are:
| ▪ | market-based for wholesale electricity sales |
| ▪ | cost-based for the transportation of natural gas |
| ▪ | market-based for the purchase and sale of LNG and natural gas |
The California Utilities, Sempra LNG and businesses that Sempra LNG invests in are subject to the DOT rules and regulations regarding pipeline safety. PHMSA, acting through the Office of Pipeline Safety, is responsible for administering the DOT’s national regulatory program to assure the safe transportation of natural gas, petroleum and other hazardous materials by pipelines, including pipelines associated with natural gas storage, and develops regulations and other approaches to risk management to assure safety in design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance and emergency response of pipeline facilities. The California Utilities, Sempra LNG and Sempra Mexico are also subject to regulation by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Foreign Regulation
Operations and projects in our Sempra Mexico segment are subject to regulation by the CRE, the Mexican Safety, Energy and Environment Agency (Agencia de Seguridad, Energía y Ambiente), the Mexican Secretary of Energy (Secretaría de Energía or SENER) and other labor and environmental agencies of city, state and federal governments in Mexico.
Licenses and Permits
Our utilities in California and Texas obtain numerous permits, authorizations and licenses for, as applicable, the transmission and distribution of natural gas and electricity and the operation and construction of related assets, including electric generation and natural gas storage facilities, some of which may require periodic renewal.
Sempra Mexico obtains numerous permits, authorizations and licenses for their electric and natural gas distribution, generation and transmission systems from the local government where the service is provided. The permits for generation, transportation, storage and distribution operations at Sempra Mexico are generally for 30-year terms, with options for renewal under certain regulatory conditions.
Sempra Mexico and Sempra LNG obtain licenses and permits for the construction, operation and expansion of LNG facilities and for the import and export of LNG and natural gas. Sempra Mexico also obtains licenses and permits for the construction and operation of facilities for the receipt, storage and delivery of liquid fuels.
Sempra LNG obtains permits, authorizations and licenses for the construction and operation of natural gas storage facilities and pipelines, and in connection with participation in the wholesale electricity market.
Most of the permits and licenses associated with Sempra LNG’s construction and operations are for periods generally in alignment with the construction cycle or life of the asset and in many cases are greater than 20 years.
RATEMAKING MECHANISMS
California Utilities
General Rate Case Proceedings. A CPUC GRC proceeding is designed to set sufficient base rates to allow the California Utilities to recover their reasonable forecasted operating costs and to provide the opportunity to realize their authorized rates of return on their investment. The proceeding generally establishes the test year revenue requirements, which authorizes how much the California Utilities can collect from their customers, and provides for attrition, or annual increases in revenue requirements, for each year following the test year. In January 2020, the CPUC implemented a four-year GRC cycle for California IOUs. The California Utilities were directed to file a petition for modification to revise their 2019 GRC to add two additional years, resulting in a transitional five-year GRC period (2019-2023).
Cost of Capital Proceedings. A CPUC cost of capital proceeding determines a utility’s authorized capital structure and authorized return on rate base, which is a weighted-average of the authorized returns on debt, preferred stock and common equity (referred to as return on equity or ROE), weighted on a basis consistent with the authorized capital structure. The authorized return on rate base approved by the CPUC is the rate that the California Utilities use to establish customer rates to recover costs to finance investments in CPUC-regulated electric distribution and generation, as well as natural gas distribution, transmission and storage assets.
A cost of capital proceeding also addresses the CCM, which considers changes in interest rates based on the applicable 12-month average Moody’s utility bond index. The CCM was reauthorized in the 2020 cost of capital proceeding and will continue through 2022. The CCM, if triggered, could automatically update the authorized cost of debt based on actual costs, and update the authorized ROE up or down by one-half of the change in the applicable 12-month average Moody’s utility bond index.
We discuss the cost of capital in Note 4 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Transmission Rate Cases. SDG&E files separately with the FERC for its authorized ROE on FERC-regulated electric transmission operations and assets. The proceeding establishes a ROE and a formulaic rate whereby rates are determined using (1) a base period of historical costs and a forecast of capital investments, and (2) a true-up period, similar to balancing account treatment, that is designed to provide earnings equal to SDG&E’s actual cost of service including its authorized return on investment. SDG&E makes annual information filings in December to update rates for the following calendar year. SDG&E may also file for ROE incentives that might apply under FERC rules. SDG&E’s debt-to-equity ratio is set annually based on the actual ratio at the end of each year.
We discuss SDG&E’s TO5 filing with the FERC in Note 4 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Incentive Mechanisms. The CPUC applies performance-based measures and incentive mechanisms to all California IOUs, under which the California Utilities have earnings potential above authorized CPUC base operating margin if they achieve or exceed specific performance and operating goals. Generally, for performance-based awards, if performance is above or below specific benchmarks, the utility is eligible for financial awards or subject to financial penalties.
SDG&E has incentive mechanisms associated with:
| ▪ | operational incentives (electric reliability) |
| ▪ | energy efficiency |
SoCalGas has incentive mechanisms associated with:
| ▪ | energy efficiency |
| ▪ | natural gas procurement |
| ▪ | unbundled natural gas storage and system operator hub services |
Other Cost-Based Recovery. The CPUC, and the FERC as it relates to SDG&E, authorize the California Utilities to collect revenue requirements for operating costs and capital related costs (such as depreciation, taxes and return on rate base) from customers, including:
| ▪ | costs to purchase natural gas and electricity; |
| ▪ | costs associated with administering public purpose, demand response, and customer energy efficiency programs; |
| ▪ | other programmatic activities, such as gas distribution, gas transmission, gas storage integrity management and wildfire mitigation; and |
| ▪ | costs associated with third party liability insurance premiums. |
Authorized costs are recovered as the commodity or service is delivered. To the extent authorized amounts collected vary from actual costs, the differences are generally recovered or refunded within a subsequent period based on the nature of the balancing account mechanism. In general, the revenue recognition criteria for balanced costs billed to customers are met at the time the costs are incurred. Because these costs are substantially recovered in rates through a balancing account mechanism, changes in these costs are reflected as changes in revenues. The CPUC and the FERC may impose various review procedures before authorizing recovery or refund for programs authorized, including limitations on the total cost of the program, revenue requirement limits or reviews of costs for reasonableness. These procedures could result in disallowances of recovery from ratepayers.
Sempra Texas Utilities
Rates and Cost Recovery. Oncor’s and Sharyland Utilities’ rates are regulated by the PUCT and certain cities and are subject to regulatory rate-setting processes and annual earnings oversight. This regulatory treatment does not provide any assurance as to achievement of earnings levels. Their rates are regulated based on an analysis of the respective utility’s costs and capital structure, as reviewed and approved in regulatory proceedings. Rate regulation is premised on the full recovery of prudently incurred costs and a reasonable rate of return on invested capital. However, there is no assurance that the PUCT will judge all of the Texas utilities’ costs to have been prudently incurred, that the PUCT will not reduce the amount of invested capital included in the capital structure that the Texas utilities’ rates are based upon, that the regulatory process in which rates are determined will always result in rates that produce full recovery of the Texas utilities’ costs or that their authorized ROE will not be reduced.
The PURA allows utilities to file, under certain circumstances, once per year and up to four rate adjustments between comprehensive base rate proceedings to recover distribution-related investments on an interim basis. The PUCT’s substantive rules also allow the Texas utilities to update their transmission rates periodically on an interim basis to reflect changes in invested capital. These “capital tracker” provisions encourage investment in the electric system to help ensure reliability and efficiency by allowing for timely recovery of and return on new investments.
Capital Structure and Return on Equity. The PUCT approved rates in Oncor’s and Sharyland Utilities’ 2017 rate reviews that took effect in November 2017. Oncor’s PUCT-authorized ROE is 9.8% and its authorized regulatory capital structure is 57.5% debt to 42.5% equity. Sharyland Utilities’ PUCT-authorized ROE is 9.7% and its authorized regulatory capital structure is 55% debt to 45% equity.
Sempra Mexico
Ecogas’ revenues are derived from service and distribution fees charged to its customers in pesos. The price Ecogas pays to purchase natural gas, which is based on international price indices, is passed through directly to its customers. The service and distribution fees charged by Ecogas are regulated by the CRE, which performs a review of rates every five years and monitors prices charged to end-users. The tariffs operate under a return-on-asset-base model. In the annual tariff adjustment, rates are adjusted to account for inflation or fluctuations in exchange rates, and inflation indexing includes separate U.S. and Mexican cost components so that U.S. costs can be included in the final distribution rates.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
We discuss environmental issues affecting us in Note 16 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” You should read the following additional information in conjunction with those discussions.
Hazardous Substances
The CPUC’s Hazardous Waste Collaborative mechanism allows California’s IOUs to recover hazardous waste cleanup costs for certain sites, including those related to certain Superfund sites. This mechanism permits the California Utilities to recover in rates
90% of hazardous waste cleanup costs and related third-party litigation costs, and 70% of the related insurance-litigation expenses. In addition, the California Utilities have the opportunity to retain a percentage of any recoveries from insurance carriers and other third parties to offset the cleanup and associated litigation costs not recovered in rates.
We record estimated liabilities for environmental remediation when amounts are probable and estimable. In addition, we record amounts authorized to be recovered in rates under the Hazardous Waste Collaborative mechanism as regulatory assets.
Air and Water Quality
The natural gas and electric industries are subject to increasingly stringent air quality and GHG standards, such as those established by CARB and SCAQMD. The California Utilities generally recover in rates the costs to comply with these standards. We discuss GHG standards and credits further in Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
We discuss environmental matters concerning SoCalGas’ Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility in Note 16 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”
OTHER MATTERS
Information About Our Executive Officers
| INFORMATION ABOUT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AT SEMPRA ENERGY | |||
| Name | Age(1) | Positions held over last five years | Time in position |
| Jeffrey W. Martin | 58 | Chairman | December 2018 to present |
| Chief Executive Officer | May 2018 to present | ||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | January 2017 to April 2018 | ||
| Chairman, SDG&E | November 2015 to December 2016 | ||
| President, SDG&E | October 2015 to December 2016 | ||
| Chief Executive Officer, SDG&E | January 2014 to December 2016 | ||
| George W. Bilicic Jr. | 56 | President and Chief Legal Officer | January 2020 to present |
| Group President | June 2019 to January 2020 | ||
| Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Lazard, a financial advisory and asset management firm | October 2008 to June 2019 | ||
| Dennis V. Arriola | 59 | Executive Vice President and Group President | October 2018 to present |
| Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of External Affairs and South America | April 2018 to September 2018 | ||
| Executive Vice President - Corporate Strategy and External Affairs | January 2017 to April 2018 | ||
| Chairman, SoCalGas | November 2015 to December 2016 | ||
| Chief Executive Officer, SoCalGas | March 2014 to December 2016 | ||
| President, SoCalGas | August 2012 to September 2016 | ||
| Trevor I. Mihalik | 53 | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | May 2018 to present |
| Senior Vice President | December 2013 to April 2018 | ||
| Controller and Chief Accounting Officer | July 2012 to April 2018 | ||
| Peter R. Wall | 48 | Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer | May 2018 to present |
| Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Sempra Infrastructure | January 2017 to April 2018 | ||
| Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power | March 2015 to December 2016 | ||
| Assistant Controller | December 2012 to March 2015 |
| (1) | Ages are as of February 27, 2020*.* |
| INFORMATION ABOUT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AT SDG&E | |||
| Name | Age(1) | Positions held over last five years | Time in position |
| Kevin C. Sagara | 58 | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | September 2018 to present |
| President, Sempra Renewables | October 2013 to September 2018 | ||
| Scott D. Drury | 54 | President | January 2017 to present |
| Chief Energy Supply Officer | June 2015 to December 2016 | ||
| Vice President - Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion | March 2011 to June 2015 | ||
| Caroline A. Winn | 56 | Chief Operating Officer | January 2017 to present |
| Chief Energy Delivery Officer | June 2015 to December 2016 | ||
| Vice President - Customer Services | April 2010 to June 2015 | ||
| Bruce A. Folkmann | 52 | Senior Vice President | August 2019 to present |
| Controller, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer | March 2015 to present | ||
| Vice President | March 2015 to August 2019 | ||
| Vice President, Controller, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer, SoCalGas | March 2015 to June 2019 | ||
| Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power | July 2013 to March 2015 | ||
| Diana L. Day | 55 | Chief Risk Officer | August 2019 to present |
| Vice President and General Counsel | January 2019 to present | ||
| Acting General Counsel | September 2017 to January 2019 | ||
| Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance, SoCalGas and SDG&E | June 2014 to January 2019 |
| (1) | Ages are as of February 27, 2020*.* |
| INFORMATION ABOUT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AT SOCALGAS | |||
| Name | Age(1) | Positions held over last five years | Time in position |
| J. Bret Lane | 60 | Chief Executive Officer | December 2018 to present |
| Principal Executive Officer | November 2018 to December 2018 | ||
| President | September 2016 to March 2019 | ||
| Chief Operating Officer | January 2014 to December 2018 | ||
| Maryam S. Brown | 44 | President | March 2019 to present |
| Vice President of Federal Government Affairs, Sempra Energy | September 2016 to March 2019 | ||
| Senior Energy and Environment Counsel, Office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives | December 2012 to September 2016 | ||
| Jimmie I. Cho | 55 | Chief Operating Officer | January 2019 to present |
| Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Gas Distribution Operations | April 2018 to January 2019 | ||
| Senior Vice President of Gas Distribution Operations, SDG&E | April 2018 to January 2019 | ||
| Senior Vice President of Gas Engineering and Distribution Operations, SoCalGas and SDG&E | October 2017 to April 2018 | ||
| Senior Vice President of Gas Operations and System Integrity, SoCalGas and SDG&E | June 2014 to October 2017 | ||
| Mia L. DeMontigny | 47 | Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer | June 2019 to present |
| Assistant Controller, Sempra Energy | August 2015 to June 2019 | ||
| U.S. Assistant Controller, National Grid | January 2013 to August 2015 | ||
| David J. Barrett | 55 | Vice President and General Counsel | January 2019 to present |
| Associate General Counsel of Gas Infrastructure, Sempra Energy | June 2018 to January 2019 | ||
| Assistant General Counsel of Gas Infrastructure, Sempra Energy | February 2017 to June 2018 | ||
| Assistant General Counsel of Real Estate and Environmental, SDG&E | October 2010 to February 2017 |
| (1) | Ages are as of February 27, 2020*.* |
Employees of the Registrants
The table below shows the number of employees for each of our registrants at January 31, 2020. Employees represented by labor unions are covered under various collective bargaining agreements that generally cover wages, benefits, working conditions and other terms and conditions of employment. We did not experience any major work stoppages in 2019 and we maintain good relations with both our union and non-union employees.
| NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES | ||||||||
| Number of employees | % of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements | % of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements expiring within one year | ||||||
| Sempra Energy Consolidated(1) | 13,969 | 41 | % | 9 | % | |||
| SDG&E | 4,287 | 30 | % | 30 | % | |||
| SoCalGas | 7,596 | 58 | % | — | % |
| (1) | Excludes employees of equity method investees and discontinued operations. |
COMPANY WEBSITES
Company website addresses are
| ▪ | Sempra Energy – www.sempra.com |
| ▪ | SDG&E – www.sdge.com |
| ▪ | SoCalGas – www.socalgas.com |
We make available free of charge on the Sempra Energy website, and for SDG&E and SoCalGas, via a hyperlink on their websites, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.
The information on the websites of Sempra Energy, SDG&E and SoCalGas is not part of this report or any other report that we file with or furnish to the SEC and is not incorporated herein by reference.
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