Piedmont Natural Gas News

A utility is cleaning up a drilling slurry spill at a state natural area where it is laying a gas pipeline in Nashville.

New Bern police closed three streets and evacuated the Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Degrafenreid Avenue early Monday after a car ran into a natural gas meter.

HQ: Richmond, Va. 2012 total compensation: $8.2 million 2011 total compensation: $12.2 million Change: - 32.6 percent 2011 rank: 2 FirstEnergy Corp.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg School officials confirmed that a University City-area high school was evacuated Friday morning after students and staff smelled natural gas.

A councilman came to the defense of one of the city's largest taxpayers this week after it requested easements and suggested payments to cross three city properties.

Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc. will ask North Carolina regulators for a general rate increase by May 31, the company says.

As is common with pipeline inspections, Piedmont Natural Gas may have to conduct "flaring." That process is a controlled burn of excess natural gas that sometimes results in a loud noise and tall flame.

North Carolina has more than three dozen natural gas refueling stations in operation or in the planning stages, including a half dozen in the Triangle, according to industry groups.

After 18 months of planning and acquiring easements from property owners, construction crews are ready to move some earth.

About 75 people returned to their homes early Sunday after a natural gas leak forced the evacuation of a neighborhood on the outskirts of Red Springs.

PSNC Energy has filed for an 8 percent residential rate increase for its natural gas, but the increase will be mostly offset by lower summer rates that go into effect May 1. If approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission, PSNC would raise the gas-cost portion of its rates 8 percent.