HEAR-12832_LOGO_HOPE_GAS
Circle

NOVEMBER 22, 2024:  Hope Gas is experiencing a service disruption in the Jane Lew, WV area. Approximately 50 customers are impacted. Learn more. 

Circle
TOWN HALL MEETINGS! Join representatives from Hope Gas as they share information on the proposed farm tap conversion and pipeline decommissioning proposals filed with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia. Town Hall meetings will be held in Clarksburg, Weston and Grantsville. Learn more.
Circle
Welcome former Standard Gas, Bazzle Gas, McIntosh Gas & Oil and Ross & Wharton Gas customers! Effective June 1, 2024, Hope Gas is your new natural gas company. We look forward to serving you! Learn more.
Circle
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FORMER SOUTHERN PUBLIC CUSTOMERS: As of October 28, 2024, you will be fully transitioned to the Hope Gas systems for customer service, billing and online account management. Your emergency numbers and customer service numbers have changed. Learn more.
Circle
Welcome former Consumers Gas customers! Effective September 20, 2024, Hope Gas is your new natural gas company. We look forward to serving you! Learn more.
Circle
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR FORMER PEOPLES GAS WV CUSTOMERS: Starting on September 3, 2024, you will be fully transitioned to the Hope Gas systems for customer service, billing and online account management. Your emergency numbers and customer service numbers will change on September 3rd. Learn more.

Our West Virginia Community and Sustainability

Hope Gas is back!
HEAR-12832_LOGO_HOPE_GAS

We are excited to honor Hope Gas’s long history and deep roots over the past 123 years in West Virginia, bringing back Hope’s name to once again represent operations in West Virginia! Our work in West Virginia means new jobs, strong community partnerships, a better environment, and supporting growth and development in West Virginia to help ensure future prosperity in our communities by driving economic development and getting more local gas into more homes and businesses in our communities.

Community Support Programs 
  • Community Partnerships – Hope Gas believes in helping the communities we serve in many ways, including volunteerism and grantmaking.
  • Volunteerism Efforts – Our employees are always ready to lend a helping hand to organizations that need one; we arrive on site, equipped with necessary tools and supplies, and spend the day doing whatever it takes to complete a community vitality project.
  • Corporate Giving – grant funds are available to qualifying 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, 501(c)6 organizations, schools and Volunteer Fire Departments (VFDs) for projects and programs that support educational, environmental, basic human needs and community vitality initiatives.
  • Economic Development – We strive to find innovative ideas that can act as a catalyst for economic growth for existing businesses and also to attract new economic opportunities in the regions we serve.

To apply for funding or a volunteer project, please click here. Please create a new account or sign into your existing account to submit an application for support.

Expanding our Service Strengthens our Community
Expanding Our Service
  • Hope is growing and plans to expand service to customers who want the reliability of natural gas. That means that we can deliver more gas produced locally here in West Virginia into West Virginia homes and businesses – improving the environment while supporting our West Virginia communities!
  • Hope sits atop one of the largest natural gas reserves in the entire world. This resource is hugely valuable to the West Virginia community, but is currently underused because of transportation constraints.
  • Hope can deliver more gas in West Virginia by working with our local producers to maximize production along with enhanced investment to reach more customers.
  • Hope’s gas prices have historically been lower than neighboring gas utilities, in part because of the tremendous value of local production. By selling more West Virginia gas to West Virginians, we can help keep gas prices low long into the future.
  • By expanding our services to currently underserved and unserved communities within our territory, we will not only be creating value for those families and businesses who today don’t have access to the reasonably priced and plentiful natural gas beneath our feet in West Virginia, but will also be creating more economic development opportunities within our State.
  • The result will be more acractive sites for new companies with plans to invest in manufacturing, critical supply chain, and energy intensive businesses, by providing these companies with access to the rich and plentiful natural gas, which allows them to operate more efficiently.
Protecting Our Environment
  • Did you know: every customer that converts from propane to natural gas reduces greenhouse gas emissions. For every residential customer that converts, the impact on the environment is the equivalent of planting 35 trees!
  • Hope plans to expand service so more West Virginians can take advantage of the reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible source that is so abundant here in West Virginia
  • Did you know: natural gas can be used to generate electricity and lower emissions by 50%?
  • Hope plans on working with commercial and residential customers to offer Combined Heat and Power and Fuel Cell Systems that will provide both electricity and heat at the same time reducing emissions and providing resiliency to keep the power on when the electric grid is off.
  • Did you know: homes can be heated by hydrogen created from natural gas and methane recycled from landfills?
  • Hope plans to offer customers even lower emission products to reduce or eliminate emissions associated with energy.
  • Hope is exploring Hydrogen as part of an overall strategy to position West Virginia at the forefront of the green energy economy. To do so, Hope will join the Hydrogen Hub Coalition to encourage development of hydrogen supply in West Virginia. Hope will work with local universities to develop hydrogen pipelines to serve Hope customers safely and reliably. Hope will also work with local producers of Hydrogen to ensure renewable energy is available and affordable for West Virginia customers.
  • Natural Gas is a vital part of the green energy transition, and with its abundant natural gas resources West Virginia is poised to be a leader in the sustainability of our environment.
Pipeline Replacement & Expansion Program (PREP)
The top priority of Hope Gas is to provide safe and reliable service to our customers. Learn more about how our Pipeline Replacement and Expansion Program (PREP) helps ensure reliable, safe, and environmentally responsible service long into the future, that launched on March 1, 2016, Hope Gas will replace more than 1,000 miles of the company’s 3,246-mile distribution pipeline system.
Over the lifespan of the program, we will upgrade the pipe from a bare steel, cast iron, wrought iron and copper pipe to either effectively coated steel or plastic pipe. This will typically affect the mainline, which is usually in the street, and various service lines, which run from the mainline to the gas meter.
We would like to stress that the existing mainline is safe. These enhancements are being conducted to meet all U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. The new pipeline will be more durable and resistant to corrosion, which allows Hope Gas the ability to deliver a commitment to safe, reliable service.
prep1
Natural Gas IS Our Energy Future
agagrowth

With an abundance of natural resources, West Virginia is a major supplier of our nation’s energy and is uniquely positioned to also lead the way in energy transition. America’s Natural Gas Industry Will be Essential to Achieve a Net-Zero Emissions Future Climate change is a defining challenge across the globe, and America’s natural gas, natural gas utilities and delivery infrastructure are essential to meeting our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals which will achieve a cleaner energy future. By including natural gas, advanced fuels and our world class infrastructure, we can expand our opportunities to slash emissions, unleash greater innovation and enhance energy reliability.

The American Gas Association worked with ICF to conduct the first comprehensive analysis exploring natural gas utility pathways to achieve net-zero emissions. Net-Zero Emissions Opportunities for Gas Utilities presents a national-level approach that leverages the unique advantages of gas technologies and distribution infrastructure. The study underscores the range of scenarios and technology opportunities available as the nation, regions, states and communities develop and implement ambitious emissions reductions plans.

Learn more about the  pathways to net-zero to meet both unique energy demand and emissions targets at the American Gas Association at https://www.aga.org/

Hydrogen
  • According to US Energy Information Administration, West Virginia is ranked fifth among the states in total energy production, accounting for 5% of the nation's total and fifth in the nation in natural gas production. West Virginia generate 4.3 million MWh of electricity annually and is a net exporter of natural gas and electricity.
  • With all these abundant assets, West Virginia is an ideal location for a Hydrogen Hub. It has abundant supply of natural gas to make hydrogen, abundant generation and electric transmission lines to convert hydrogen into green electricity and abundant interstate pipelines to transport hydrogen to markets throughout West Virginia and critical northeast markets where heating demand is the greatest.
  • These assets make West Virginia an energy transition leader and an energy hub for supplying the United States.
  • As we look to a greener future for Hope Gas and its customers, hydrogen blended with natural gas supply could help further reduce emissions compared with natural gas alone, and hydrogen produced in West Virginia will make it affordable and reliable for West Virginia customers.
  • Hope is planning to join the hydrogen innovation that has already started in West Virginia with local companies and universities exploring hydrogen technology.
  • To learn more about hydrogen innovation including WVU’s research into natural gas’s role in the hydrogen economy, please visit this link to learn more about Hydrogen’s role in the energy transition at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office.
Fuel Cells

Fuel cells are revolutionizing energy production by efficiently converting natural gas into electricity.

How Fuel Cells Work

A fuel cell operates like a mini power plant, generating electricity through a chemical reaction between natural gas and oxygen. Unlike combustion engines that burn fuel, fuel cells use an electrochemical process, ensuring cleaner energy production. The key components of a fuel cell include:

  • Anode: Where natural gas (methane) is introduced.
  • Cathode: Where oxygen from the air reacts.
  • Electrolyte: Facilitates the ion exchange between anode and cathode.
  • Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM): Commonly used in natural gas fuel cells to separate gases and conduct protons.

As natural gas flows into the anode, it undergoes a chemical reaction, releasing electrons and protons. The electrons travel through an external circuit, generating electricity to power your appliances, while the protons migrate through the electrolyte to the cathode. Here, they combine with oxygen and electrons to produce water and heat as byproducts, making fuel cells exceptionally clean and efficient.

Benefits of Natural Gas Fuel Cells

  • Clean Energy: Natural gas fuel cells produce electricity with minimal emissions, reducing your carbon footprint and contributing to cleaner air.
  • Reliability: Enjoy uninterrupted power even during grid outages, thanks to fuel cells' independence from traditional electrical infrastructure.
  • Efficiency: Fuel cells boast high-efficiency rates, utilizing natural gas more effectively than conventional power generation methods.
  • Cost Savings: Lower energy costs over time with efficient natural gas utilization and potential incentives for adopting sustainable energy solutions.
  • Quiet Operation: Fuel cells operate silently, eliminating noisy machinery associated with traditional power generation.

Experience the future of energy with Hope Gas and Watt. Our expertise in natural gas fuel cell technology ensures reliable, sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions for residential applicants across the state of West Virginia.