CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont
Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) today announced the publication of its 2015
Sustainability Report, a comprehensive look at the company's
efforts to integrate environmental, social and economic
sustainability into all aspects of its business operations.
The report is the third in a series published every two years
since 2011. This year's report details the many ways Piedmont reduced its own carbon footprint over
the past two years – including converting company cars and trucks
to environmentally responsible natural gas vehicles and making
facilities more energy-efficient – and helped energy consumers in
North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee do the same by converting to natural
gas for residential, commercial and industrial uses as well as for
power generation.
"Piedmont Natural Gas is proud of the significant environmental
benefits resulting from the expanded use of natural gas, but that's
just part of our sustainability story," said Thomas E. Skains, Chairman, President and CEO of
Piedmont Natural Gas. "The 2015 Sustainability Report also shows
how Piedmont is working to achieve
social and economic sustainability by partnering with the
communities we serve to address critical needs, using our
purchasing power to support small and minority-owned businesses,
and investing in new sources of natural gas that will fuel
much-needed economic development and keep energy prices lower and
more stable for all of us."
The "Piedmont Natural Gas Sustainability Top 10" list (see
below) offers a quick glimpse at all of the ways Piedmont and its customers are reaping the
environmental and economic advantages of abundant, low-cost
domestically produced natural gas. The list also includes
significant facts and figures about Piedmont's investment in the safety and
reliability of its natural gas distribution system and all of the
ways Piedmont is incorporating
social and economic sustainability into the business decisions it
makes every day.
In keeping with Piedmont's
commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices, the
full 2015 Sustainability Report is available only online. To view
the report, please visit sustainability.piedmontng.com
Piedmont Natural Gas Sustainability Top 10
Highlights from the 2015 Sustainability Report
- Strength in Diversity: Over the past two years, Piedmont
Natural Gas has increased spending with small, minority-, women-
and veteran-owned businesses by 53 percent and spent
$132 million with 262 diverse
suppliers in 2014.
- Going Green with NGVs: Piedmont Natural Gas is close to
reaching a goal set two years ago to convert 30 percent of its own
fleet to natural gas vehicles (NGVs) powered by compressed natural
gas (CNG). As of 2014, the company has converted about 300 vehicles
or 28 percent of the fleet to NGVs, displacing the
equivalent of 200,000 gallons of gasoline. Piedmont is also helping commercial and
private NGV owners go green with its network of public CNG
refueling stations, including its 10th station scheduled to open in
September in Anderson, S.C.
- Back and Stronger than Ever: Piedmont Natural Gas added
16,251 new customers in 2014 – the strongest growth since
2008 and a 14 percent increase from 2013.
- The Switch is On: More than 7,000 Piedmont customers switched to natural gas
from other sources of energy over the past two years to take
advantage of energy cost savings and environmental benefits.
Conversions in 2014 alone were up 15 percent from the year
before.
- More Money in Your Pocket: Natural gas continues to be
the most affordable energy choice for consumers, with potential
savings of nearly $700
over alternative sources of energy for heating, water heating,
clothes drying and cooking.
- Building Strong Communities: Piedmont Natural Gas is
committed to supporting initiatives and programs that promote
health, wellness and economic development and growth in the
communities it serves. In 2013 and 2014, Piedmont Natural Gas,
along with employees, customers and the Piedmont Natural Gas
Foundation, gave a total of $6.4
million to community enrichment, environmental and
energy assistance programs.
- Investing in Safety and Growth: Safety is Piedmont's No. 1 priority, and the company's
investment in pipeline integrity, safety and expansion reflects the
commitment to the safety of customers, communities and employees.
Over the past two years, Piedmont
spent nearly $1.7 billion to
ensure the continued safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to
its growing customer base.
- Customers Like What They See: Customer service is a top
priority for Piedmont – second
only to safety – and customers are taking note. Independent surveys
ranked Piedmont's Customer Contact
Center No. 2 in the nation based on excellent customer
service and Piedmont's field
customer service team ranked No. 3 in the nation in customer
satisfaction in 2014.
- Sustainable Investing: Piedmont Natural Gas, which
trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PNY,
increased its dividend in 2014 for the 36th
consecutive year – and in March extended the streak to 37. On
Wall Street, Piedmont is known as
a "Dividend Champion."
- Dialing Up Safety: Accidents involving homeowners and
contractors digging into natural gas pipelines are the leading
cause of damage to Piedmont's
distribution system. But efforts to encourage people to call the
free 811 service to have underground utilities located and marked
before they dig are working: In North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, calls to 811 are up an average of
nearly 13 percent since 2012 and damage to pipelines from
people who don't call has declined. Piedmont's customers and communities are safer
as a result.
About Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont
Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily engaged in the
distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential,
commercial, industrial and power generation utility customers in
portions of North Carolina,
South Carolina and Tennessee, including customers served by
municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are
invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including
unregulated retail natural gas marketing, and regulated interstate
natural gas transportation and storage, and regulated intrastate
natural gas transportation businesses. More information about
Piedmont Natural Gas is available on the Internet at
www.piedmontng.com.
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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas