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About Us

Our History

Rooted in Mountaineer History, Focused on the Future

Since our founding in 1898, Hope Gas has appreciated and respected what’s special about West Virginia. The history of our company is closely intertwined with the history of this region, from the first pioneers carving trails in the wilderness to the innovators in coal and steel who helped build our nation to the leaders of today redefining what’s possible in energy, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and community development.

Through the decades we have remained committed to our customers and our communities. We help nurture our neighborhoods by contributing both financially and through valuable volunteer time. We invest in the growth of our employees and in the growth of West Virginia's next generation, creating learning opportunities and family-sustaining jobs that allow our young people to remain and thrive in their home state.

Our bargaining unit employees are members of the United Gas Workers Union Local 69, UWUA AFL–CIO. We are people with a purpose—to serve our customers safely and reliably, strengthen our communities, minimize environmental impacts, and invest in West Virginia’s future.

And it’s the future that Hope Gas is most excited about. West Virginia is evolving into a beacon of innovation, growth, and opportunity. From groundbreaking advancements in healthcare and clean energy to cutting-edge research and job creation, the state is on a mission to lead the nation.

Proudly at the heart of this transformation is Hope Gas, helping to power the future with energy and optimism. We build on the past and look to tomorrow, knowing that as the Mountain State grows, Hope Gas will always stay true to our values of faith, family, and integrity.

Our History

Hope Natural Gas Timeline

1890s
Hope is Established and Early Expansion into West Virginia Gas Fields

1898
Hope Natural Gas Company Incorporated established. The founders were hopeful that natural gas would prove to be the wave of the future – they named their company accordingly. Sept. 17, 1898, for a fee of $61, West Virginia’s secretary of state granted Standard Oil of New Jersey a certificate of incorporation for the Hope Natural Gas Company.

1899
Hope purchases 11 wells, leaseholds, and associated field lines in Wetzel County from South Penn Oil Co. to begin the strong foothold in WV.

1900s
Infrastructure Begins: Field Offices, Pipelines, and Early System Integration

1902 
Hope opened its first field office in New Martinsville, WV in Wetzel County This year also marked the formation of Hope’s teaming department and use of horses which continued for the next 30 years.

1903 
Standard Oil acquired Peoples Natural Gas and connected its lines to Hope’s lines.

1904 
Hope’s charter purposes were amended to implement the right of eminent domain and to sell and supply gas in West Virginia. Able to provide retail delivery of gas to West Virginia’s towns and cities; construction complete on its first compressor station in Hastings – named for its first General Superintendent, Dennis Hastings.

1907 
Hope Natural Gas Co. relocated its field office to Clarksburg on the top floor of the Empire Bank Building

1920s
Labor Collaboration and the Rise of Formal Employee Representation

1926 
The first Joint Agreement was adopted between employees and management of the Hope Natural Gas Co., Reserve Gas Co., Hope Construction & Refining Co., and The Connecting Gas Co. This agreement made provision for elected representatives of the employees to meet in Joint Conference with representatives of management to discuss and to settle matters of joint interest. such as hours, wages, working conditions and the adjustment of grievances. Hope formed its first formal Safety Dept.

1930s
Strengthening Internal Support with Financial and Community Structures

1935
Hope’s Employee Credit Union formed in Clarksburg.

1940s
Operational Consolidation and Cultural Foundations

1940 
Hope’s general office facilities were transferred to Clarksburg from Pittsburgh where they had been since 1904. 

1943 
Hope Natural Gas Co. created as the Operational Division of Standard Oil.

1947 
The company magazine, The Beacon, was first published out of the Clarksburg office.

1947 
200 of Hope’s employees took a leave of absence from their jobs in the Clarksburg General Office to serve their country in WWII.

1950s
Modernization of Gas Safety, Branding, and Labor Stability

1955 
A harmless petroleum product (Calodorant “C” Special) had been added to return the “natural” odor to natural gas.

1957 
For the first time in the history of the company, Hope Natural Gas Co. and the Employees’ Independent Union entered into a two-year labor contract. Previous contracts had only been one-year agreements.

1959 
The “flame and well” symbol was first used by all Consolidated System companies; central element of the basic design is a flame rising from a symbolic underground well.

1960s
Transformation Through Tragedy, Merger, and Long-Term Labor Agreements

1961 
Newly designed Service Recognition awards featured the “flame and well” insignia and replaced the service award button that had been in use since 1928.

1961 
A three-year labor contract was signed between Hope Natural Gas Co. and the Employees’ Independent Union and included a new medical plan.

1965 
Hope Natural Gas Company plane crashes and burns after take-off during snow storm from Benedum Airport and kills all four employees on board – the pilot, co-pilot, personnel and labor relations director and employee relations director.

1965 
Hope Natural Gas Company merged with New York State Natural Gas to form Consolidated Gas Supply Corporation and the name Hope Natural Gas Company was retained to identify the distribution division.

1970s
Union Evolution and World-Leading Gas Storage Capacity

1974 
Allegheny Mountain Gas Workers’ Union Local No. 999 affiliated with Service Employees International Union/SEIU—AFL-CIO and signed two-year contract with Consolidated Gas Supply Corporation.

1979 
Consolidated Gas Supply Corp.’s storage system had 27 fields and contained more than 800 billion cubic feet of gas and was the largest gas storage system in the world.

1980s
Corporate Restructuring and Emergence as Hope Gas, Inc.

1984 
The distribution operations became a separate company, Hope Gas, Inc., and the interstate gas transmission operations became Consolidated Gas Transmission Corporation.

1984 
Consolidated Gas Supply Corporation changes name to Hope Gas, Inc. and is under WV PSC.

1990s
Union Consolidation and Leadership in Alternative-Fuel Fleet Operations

1998 
Three-year Joint agreement signed between CNG Trans. Corp. and United Gas Workers Union Local 69, Division II, SEIU, AFL-CIO (a consolidation of Allegheny Gas Workers Union Local 999 and Peoples Natural Gas Local 666).

1998 
Hope Gas owned and utilized the largest utility fleet of natural gas-powered vehicles in West Virginia.

2000s
Union Realignment and Continued Workforce Evolution

2003 
United Gas Workers Union Local 69 changed affiliation from Service Employees International Union (SEIU AFL-CIO) to Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA AFL-CIO).

2020s
A New Chapter: Divestitures, Acquisitions, and Rebirth as Hope Gas

2020 
The new decade marks the 75th year of philanthropic endeavors for The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. The sale of Dominion Energy transmission and storage assets was finalized to Berkshire Hathaway in the fourth quarter.

2020 
Hope acquired the Gathering assets from Dominion Energy Transmission

2022 
Hope Gas Inc., dba Dominion Energy West Virginia, was purchased by Hope Utilities (formerly Hearthstone) and renamed Hope Gas; headquartered in Morgantown, WV with Operational Hub in Jane Lew, WV.