PNY Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) announces that the Charlotte Business Journal has presented the Energy Leadership Award to Thomas E. Skains, Piedmont's chairman, president and CEO.  Mr. Skains is one of 10 people who received the award and were recognized as having the most positive influence on Charlotte's position in the energy industry.

Mr. Skains was chosen specifically for his impact on energy legislation and job growth in the region, in addition to his overall influence on making the Charlotte region a national and international player in the energy industry. He was unable to attend the award ceremony Friday due to his recovery from a previously announced surgery, but Piedmont's CFO, David Dzuricky, was on hand to accept the award.

"I'm honored to receive this award on Tom's behalf, and I know he's appreciative to be recognized along with individuals who have done so much to promote Charlotte as a leader in the energy industry," said Dzuricky. "In his role as Piedmont's CEO and as a former chairman for the American Gas Association, Tom remains a devoted advocate for local, state and national energy policies that benefit our communities and position natural gas as an important component of our nation's energy future."

About Piedmont Natural Gas

Piedmont Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily engaged in the distribution of natural gas to more than one million residential, commercial and industrial utility customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including 52,000 customers served by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our subsidiaries are invested in joint venture, energy- related businesses, including unregulated retail natural gas marketing, interstate natural gas storage and intrastate natural gas transportation. More information about Piedmont Natural Gas is available at http://www.piedmontng.com.

SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas