California regulators approved an increase in the maximum natural gas storage level allowed at Southern California Gas Co.’s (SoCalGas) Aliso Canyon facility in Los Angeles County to 68.8 Bcf from 41.16 Bcf, the highest amount deemed safe by the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM).

The decision allows SoCalGas to inject more gas into the facility during fall in order to protect consumers from natural gas and electricity price spikes in winter, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) said. 

“The Western region of the U.S. saw substantial increases in wholesale natural gas prices from November 2022 to March 2023,” regulators said. “Preliminary estimates from stakeholders suggest that the CPUC’s decision to temporarily increase natural gas...