Piedmont Natural Gas Announces Membership in Council for Responsible Energy

Piedmont Natural Gas announced its membership in the Council for Responsible Energy, a coalition of more than 190 organizations that have come together to raise awareness of natural gas as the comfortable, responsible energy choice for America’s energy consumers.

The Council, comprised of senior industry leaders from organizations nationwide, has launched a national campaign to communicate the benefits of natural gas. Central to this campaign is an online resource where visitors can learn all the ways they can use natural gas wisely in their homes and businesses, find tips and tools to reduce their energy consumption, and more. In the coming weeks, consumers will also be able to assess their carbon footprint using the Council’s carbon calculator tool. Piedmont Natural Gas customers can access this resource by looking for the Council’s icon on Piedmont’s Web site, www.piedmontng.com .

“Research clearly shows that customers want to do the right thing when it comes to the environment and our long-term energy goals, but they are unaware of the many ways natural gas helps them do that,” said Thomas Skains, president and chief executive officer of Piedmont Natural Gas and the incoming chairman of the American Gas Association for 2009. “The time is right to educate the public that by choosing natural gas you can help save energy, reduce emissions and protect the environment, without compromising performance or lifestyle.”

In October, Mr. Skains was elected incoming chairman of the American Gas Association, which represents more than 200 local energy companies that deliver natural gas to 64 million – or approximately 92 percent – of natural gas customers nationwide. In this role, Mr. Skains will work with the association’s membership and staff to communicate the promise of natural gas to policymakers, regulators and the financial community.

Piedmont Natural Gas, one of the initial members of the Council for Responsible Energy, will reinforce that group’s message through Mr. Skains