Piedmont Natural Gas celebrates its employees on Natural Gas Utility Workers' Day

• March 18 spotlights natural gas employees' role in serving more than 77 million customers nationwide with safe, reliable natural gas.
• Natural gas technicians play vital role in modernizing natural gas delivery system for growing communities, and meeting company's net-zero methane emissions goals.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas celebrates the seventh annual Natural Gas Utility Workers' Day on March 18, 2022. The annual celebration spotlights natural gas workers' role in serving more than 77 million customers across the nation in providing safe, reliable and affordable natural gas service every day.

About 2,500 Piedmont Natural Gas and contract workers are responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of Piedmont's more than 26,000 miles of natural gas infrastructure in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Technicians are often first responders, on the front lines when natural gas emergencies occur. And, their work expanding and modernizing the natural gas delivery system will help meet the service needs of the company's customers and growing communities, while also providing the infrastructure needed to replace higher-carbon fuels.

"I couldn't be more proud of our workers' enthusiasm and commitment to Piedmont's customers and to doing their jobs safely," said Brian Weisker, senior vice president and chief operations officer at Piedmont Natural Gas.

"For many of these men and women, helping our customers is more than just a job; it's a calling," Weisker said. "Whether it's working into the evening to ensure someone has heat on a cold night or volunteering in the community where they live and work, Piedmont's employees continually go above and beyond to serve others and help keep communities safe."

One of those workers is Lee Bedell, a Piedmont crew leader from Wentworth, N.C. In addition to serving customers as a natural gas utility worker, Bedell serves as Wentworth's fire chief. Bedell's devotion to public service stands as just one example of the commitment to customers and communities shown by natural gas utility workers at Piedmont and nationwide. Read more about Lee Bedell here.

Natural Gas Utility Workers' Day, established by the American Public Gas Association in 2015, is intended to build public awareness about the hard work done by the employees of natural gas utilities and educate residents on the environmental, safety and cost benefits of using clean, reliable and affordable natural gas. It is celebrated March 18 to commemorate the date of a 1937 incident in New London, Texas, that led to the widespread odorization of natural gas and an increased emphasis on safety.

For more information on Piedmont Natural Gas and its employees, follow @PiedmontNG on Twitter and visit facebook.com/PiedmontNG.

As the trusted natural gas provider for more than 1 million homes and businesses across North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, Piedmont's top priority is the safety of its natural gas pipeline delivery system, customers, communities and employees. More information on natural gas safety can be found at piedmontng.com/safety.

Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), is an energy services company whose principal business is the distribution of natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The company also supplies natural gas to power plants. Piedmont is routinely recognized by J.D. Power for excellent customer satisfaction, and has been named by Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S.

Media contact: Jason Wheatley 
Piedmont Natural Gas media line: 877.348.3612 
[email protected]

SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas