Stories of Hope
Celebrating Four Years in the Mountain State
Four years ago, Hope Gas began a new chapter in West Virginia with the purchase of Dominion Energy’s natural gas utility business. From the beginning, our commitment was personal: to earn the trust of the customers who count on us, to support the employees who serve them, and to invest in the communities we all call home. We set out to be more than a utility provider. We set out to be a West Virginia-based partner, building a stronger energy future alongside the people of this state.
Today, I am proud to say that commitment is stronger than ever.
Hope Gas is the only regional natural gas utility headquartered in West Virginia, and that matters. Our Morgantown office is more than a location on a map; it reflects our belief that decisions affecting West Virginia customers, communities, employees, and businesses should be made here at home. By establishing customer service, call-center, dispatch, and gas-control operations in the Mountain State, we are building the local presence needed to respond faster, serve better, and create long-term employment close to the customers we serve.
Over the past four years, Hope Gas and the construction projects we support have helped create more than 1,000 jobs — and behind every one of those jobs is a West Virginian with a family, a future, and a reason to stay and build a life here at home. These are good, family-sustaining jobs for skilled tradespeople, technicians, operators, customer-service professionals, engineers, and local contractors who are not only maintaining and improving our system, but also supporting households, strengthening communities, and building pride in West Virginia’s future. When people see dollars invested in pipelines, we see paychecks going to local workers, careers being built, families being supported, and new infrastructure rising across the Mountain State.
Those jobs are also part of a much larger story. West Virginia’s natural gas industry supports approximately 80,000 workers statewide, representing a community of hard-working people whose skills and commitment help power our homes, businesses, and economy. Hope Gas is proud to be part of that community and to contribute to an industry that creates opportunities in every region of our state.
Preparing West Virginia’s Workforce
Creating jobs is essential, but so is preparing West Virginians for the careers of today and tomorrow.
Through Hope Pathways, we are helping train the future energy workforce of West Virginia, and we are doing it with a purpose that goes beyond jobs alone. Too often, young people in our state feel they have to leave home to find opportunity, build a career, and create a stable future for themselves and their families. We want to help change that. We want students and young workers to see that they can stay in West Virginia, earn a good living, do meaningful work, and serve the same communities that raised them. For Hope Gas, workforce development is about keeping talent, hope, and family close to home.
That commitment is also reflected in our development of the Edward M. Smith National Career and Life Skills Development Center in Clarksburg. This facility is more than an investment in technical training; it is an investment in people. It will give Hope Gas employees the tools, experience, confidence, and support they need to grow in their careers, strengthen their skills, and become the best versions of themselves. By creating a place where employees can learn, practice, and prepare for the work ahead, we are helping them serve safely, lead with pride, and build lasting careers in West Virginia.
The future of our industry – and our state – depends on a workforce that is ready to meet new challenges. By investing in training, education, and career pathways, Hope Gas is investing in West Virginia’s ability to compete and grow for decades to come.
Investment That Enables Growth
Reliable natural gas infrastructure is essential to economic development, but it is also essential to everyday life. It helps families heat their homes, gives small businesses confidence to plan ahead, and gives manufacturers, hospitals, schools, and commercial businesses the dependable, affordable energy they need to succeed.
Hope Gas has invested – and continues to invest – hundreds of millions of dollars in West Virginia’s natural gas system. Our commitment includes more than $450 million in pipeline infrastructure investments intended to support economic development, including the Morgantown Connector and the recently announced Mason County project.
The Morgantown Connector will help expand access to reliable natural gas services in one of the state’s fastest-growing regions, supporting the residential, commercial and industrial growth that strengthens north-central West Virginia. The Mason County project similarly represents an opportunity to bring critical energy infrastructure to an area positioned for new investment and job creation.
These projects are not simply pipelines. They are investments in possibility. They help communities compete for projects that require dependable energy, help existing employers plan for expansion, and help West Virginia make the most of its natural advantages. For customers, they also reflect our commitment to a system that is ready for growth, reliable service, and the needs of the next generation.
Across the state, Hope Gas operates and maintains more than 7,000 miles of natural gas pipeline. Laid end to end, that network would stretch from Morgantown to Los Angeles and back one-and-a-half times. Maintaining this vital system requires continual investment, a highly trained workforce, and a commitment to safety and reliability.
We are also intentional about ensuring that the economic benefits of our work stay in West Virginia. Our supply chain strategy emphasizes purchasing equipment, materials, and services locally whenever possible. Every contract awarded to a West Virginia business, and every dollar spent with a local supplier can help support another family, another main street, and another community.
Serving Customers and Communities
A utility’s responsibilities extends beyond infrastructure. We must also recognize that affordability is central to the value we deliver.
Hope Gas launched the first-of-its-kind utility discount program because we know our customers are more than account numbers — they are our neighbors. For eligible customers, saving 25% on monthly gas bills can mean a little more room in the family budget for groceries, childcare, medicine, or other everyday needs. The program may also be combined with Budget Billing, helping make monthly energy costs more predictable and giving families one less worry in an already busy life. At its heart, this work is about showing up for the people who count on us, helping our neighbors stay warm, manage their bills, and feel supported by a company that is proud to serve them.
We also believe strong communities are built by good people who are empowered to care for one another. Over the past four years, Hope Gas employees have contributed more than 5,000 volunteer hours in communities across the state, including recent efforts to help neighbors recover from flooding in north-central West Virginia. Those hours are more than a measure of time; they reflect who our employees are. They are people with generous hearts, steady hands, and a deep willingness to show up when someone else is in need. At Hope Gas, we are proud to support and empower employees to be the good neighbors they already are — helping families, strengthening communities, and bringing hope to people who need it most.
Hope Gas also supports organizations and initiatives across West Virginia, from West Virginia University to Keeping Kids in West Virginia and many local causes that improve the places where our employees and customers live. Importantly, these contributions are funded separately and are not recovered through customer rates. We give back because West Virginia isn't just where we work, it's home.
Looking Ahead
West Virginia’s natural gas industry is a major asset for our state. It supports good jobs, local tax revenues, construction activity, manufacturing opportunities, and the energy reliability that families and employers depend on. It also positions West Virginia to compete in an economy where affordable, dependable energy remains a deciding factor for business investment.
The state’s energy future will require innovation, investment, and a workforce ready to meet new challenges. Natural gas will continue to play an important role in that future – providing dependable energy, supporting economic development and helping West Virginia build on the strengths that have long defined our people.
This milestone belongs to all of us. It belongs to the employees who answer calls, respond to emergencies, inspect lines, manage projects, support customers, and keep our system operating safely. It belongs to customers who have placed their confidence in Hope Gas. And it belongs to the communities that continue to welcome our investment, partnership, and service.
As we mark this four-year milestone, my deepest gratitude goes to the employees who put on their boots before sunrise, answer the phone when a customer needs help, respond when safety matters most, and carry the responsibility of serving their neighbors with pride. I am grateful to our customers who have trusted us, to our contractors and community partners who have built alongside us, and to the public leaders who understand what this work means for West Virginia’s future. Because of you, Hope Gas is not simply a company headquartered here; it is a company with its heart here.
Four years have shown us what is possible when people believe in the same place and work together to make it stronger. The miles of pipe, the new jobs, the training programs, the volunteer hours, and the investments all point to something bigger than infrastructure. They point to hope — hope that families can stay here, careers can grow here, businesses can thrive here, and the next generation can look at West Virginia and see a future worth choosing. That is the future Hope Gas is committed to helping build. And with our employees, customers, contractors, community partners, and neighbors beside us, I believe in that future with all my heart.
