PSNC Energy is one of our strong partners and in this month’s edition we would like to tell you about them, their services and trainings…
PSNC Energy was founded in North Carolina in 1938 and has grown from a couple of hundred customers to over half a million customers in a little over 75 years. PSNC Energy provides natural gas service to residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Raleigh-Durham area, the Concord-Gastonia area and the Asheville area.
What services does PSNC Energy offers? In addition to providing natural gas to a 28-county service area, we offer a wide selection of natural gas appliances such as gas grills, logs, outdoor fire products and water heaters. We can also install, repair and finance natural gas appliances.
What would PSNC Energy say is the number one mistake businesses make when working with utilities lines? A point of clarification: businesses are not damaging our natural gas lines. Construction workers/contractors are.
The biggest mistake excavators make is to believe that there is no need to call NC811 (our state one call center) to have underground utilities marked. Simply dialing 811 to have utilities marked is really the only way to know where utilities are buried in the area you are working. There is no way of knowing what changes have been made since the utility was installed and they can be just a few inches underground.
What would PSNC Energy recommend to small businesses to avoid a penalty/lawsuit against them for damaging utilities lines? How can it be prevented? Is there any training services available for utilities companies to avoid making this type of mistakes?
We ask those wanting to dig for their projects to call us three full working days before planned excavation. The call and marking service is free—and it’s state law. By calling 811, you greatly reduce the chance of causing damage, preventing service disruptions and outages to essential utility services, injuries and costly repairs and fines.
One of the best Spanish-language resources out there is the NCPipesPlus course, administered by NC811. The NCPipesPlus course coves what NC 811 is, how utilities are located, excavator safe digging practices and information concerning digging around gas, electric and telecommunication lines. The program is available online or it can be presented to your business in-person. Those that complete the two-to- three hour program and pass a final exam, receive a certificate of completion. This video training series can be found at ncpipesplus.org. You can request the training in-person at ncpipesplus.org as well.
PSNC Energy conducts trainings at our facilities and can also go out to businesses. To request a session or site visit, reach out to Marc Worth at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Those interested in a video overview of safe digging around natural gas can view our short Spanish safety video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLw_F5VtehY/
What do you think is HCAC’s contribution to its members and the industry in general?
Its imperative small and minority-owned businesses stay abreast of industry trends, best practices and regulations. The HCAC gives members the continuing education and business development needed in Spanish to make learning opportunities accessible to Hispanic-owned construction businesses.
Any additional comment you will like to share with us?
At PSNC Energy, safety is our primary goal. Unfortunately, the greatest threat to the safety of our natural gas system is damage from third-parties. We are willing to reach out and work with HCAC’s members and all excavators. Safety takes precedence over all other aspects of our business.
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