SAN DIEGO, Oct. 29, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Javade Chaudhri, executive vice president and general counsel of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE), issued the following statement today regarding a settlement agreement by Sempra Energy, Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric with the County of Los Angeles and 11 other individual plaintiffs in the Continental Forge case. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Our companies are pleased to have reached a mutually agreeable settlement for a fraction of these particular plaintiffs' claims. These individual plaintiffs were part of the consolidated case, but not part of the initial class of Ventura County natural gas customers and Southern California Edison customers currently being heard in San Diego Superior Court.
"The allegations involved in this case are simply false and, as part of this agreement, Sempra Energy and our affiliate companies expressly deny any wrongdoing."
The Continental Forge class-action trial began Oct. 24, 2005, and is expected to continue for three to five months. In addition to the County of Los Angeles, the plaintiffs included in this settlement are: the City of Burbank, City of Culver City, City of Glendale, City of Upland, City of Vernon, County of San Bernardino, Edgington Oil, Imperial Irrigation District, World Oil Corporation, Demenno-Kerdoon and Lunday-Thaggard Company.