Utility customer purported savings of more than $1.1 billion, development of North America’s largest thin-film solar power installation in operation and contributions of more than $16 million to nonprofit organizations and families in need are the highlights of last year’s operations at San Diego-based Sempra Energy, which recently published its first corporate responsibility report. “Powering the Every Day” focused on the energy holding company’s efforts in sustainability, such as environmental stewardship, employee development, diversity and philanthropy. Efforts to lower environmental impacts of energy operations, such as reducing generation plant emissions and increasing renewable energy and energy efficiency programs were outlined in the report, which is available at www.sempra.com under “Corporate Responsibility.”

Drilling as many as 770 wells on an 80-acre coalbed methane development on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southwest Colorado over the next 20 years will cause no significant impact to wildlife and the environment, according to a Decision Record issued by the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The decision approves an increase in the number of coalbed methane wells on the land to eight per section, or four per 320 acres compared with the current two per 320 acres, with 95% of the new wells to be co-located on existing well pads. The Southern Ute tribe, one of the smaller Native American tribes in terms of population, has for years had interests in natural gas production, gathering and treating operations (see Daily GPI, Sept. 24, 2004). The tribe began its own production company, Red Willow Production, in 1992 and formed an on-reservation gas gathering venture, Red Cedar Gathering, with Kinder Morgan. The Southern Utes also are the only Indian nation with their own royalty auditor for producers drilling on their lands.

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