The purpose of the Association is to enhance the performance, safety, competitiveness, and public awareness of its member public (i.e. not investor-owned) natural gas distribution systems by promoting the coordination of effort and the sharing of information related to:

• The management and operations of such systems
• Compliance with associated regulatory obligations
• Providing the highest quality of reliable service to their customers

Have questions? Give us a call at (803) 445-1190 or send an email to info@carolinaspga.org

Our History

The use of natural gas in the United States dates back to the 1800s, when it was first used to light streets and homes. By 1900, natural gas had been discovered in 17 states, but without pipelines, its use was limited and often wasted.

Natural gas did not reach the Carolinas until 1949, when Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company (Transco) began building a 1,832-mile pipeline from Texas to New York. The line passed through both North and South Carolina, and by 1951 utilities could begin offering natural gas to their customers. Around the same time, Southern Natural Gas extended service to Aiken, SC, and South Carolina Electric & Gas created South Carolina Natural Gas to serve Columbia and Charleston.

During the 1950s, many cities in the Carolinas built their own gas distribution systems. Today, there are eight municipal gas systems in North Carolina and five in South Carolina, along with several public gas authorities and commissions—all publicly owned.

Regional cooperation in the gas industry grew over the decades. In 1939, the Mid-Southeastern Gas Association was formed, later renamed the Southeastern Gas Association (SGA). On the national level, the American Public Gas Association (APGA) was created in 1961 to represent and advocate for public gas systems across the country.

North Carolina established its own municipal gas association in 1996, but South Carolina had no statewide group. In 2008, leaders from public gas systems in both states began discussing the idea of forming a joint association. After several meetings and a task force study, the Carolinas Public Gas Association (CPGA) was officially organized in 2008 and later formalized in 2012.

Since then, CPGA has expanded to include members in Virginia and has grown into a strong regional voice for public natural gas systems. Today, CPGA continues to support its members by promoting safety, providing education, and advocating for the reliable delivery of natural gas to communities across the Carolinas and beyond.