Planning Ahead Instead of Reacting

Natural gas prices are influenced by many factors, including weather, supply and demand, pipeline capacity, and conditions in the national energy market.

Rather than waiting until demand increases, YCNGA takes a proactive approach to purchasing and managing our natural gas supply. By planning ahead, we're often able to reduce our exposure to sudden price spikes.

Our long-term supply strategy includes:

• Purchasing portions of our natural gas supply in advance through price hedging.
• Maintaining access to stored natural gas for periods of high demand.
• Utilizing peaking services when additional supply is needed.
• Leveraging prepay transactions and other long-term purchasing strategies.
• Strategically releasing unused pipeline capacity to generate additional revenue that benefits our customers.

Together, these strategies help reduce the need to purchase large volumes of natural gas at elevated market prices.

"Our responsibility is to anticipate market changes and position our supply portfolio in a way that helps protect customers from sudden rate increases while maintaining reliable service."

– Jeff Deason, Chief Financial Officer

Understanding Natural Gas Costs

The price customers pay for natural gas includes more than just the cost of the fuel itself.

Natural gas must be produced, transported through interstate pipelines, stored when appropriate, and delivered safely to local communities. The total cost of bringing natural gas to YCNGA is often referred to as the delivered price, which includes the commodity itself as well as transportation, storage, pipeline capacity, and other supply-related costs.

During periods of unusually high demand—such as widespread cold weather across multiple states—these delivered costs can increase significantly. YCNGA's planning strategies are designed to help manage those fluctuations whenever possible.

Higher Bills Don't Always Mean Higher Rates

One of the most common questions we receive is why a bill may increase even when natural gas rates remain stable.

The answer is usually simple: usage.

When temperatures are colder, heating systems run longer and consume more natural gas. Likewise, businesses may use additional energy during periods of increased demand.

Even if the price per therm stays the same, using more natural gas will naturally result in a higher bill.

A Not-for-Profit Utility Focused on Our Community

York County Natural Gas Authority was created by an Act of the South Carolina General Assembly in 1954 and operates as a political subdivision of the State of South Carolina.

Unlike investor-owned utilities:

• We do not operate to generate profits for shareholders.
• We cannot levy or collect taxes.
• We finance system improvements through revenue bonds that are repaid solely from system revenues.
• Any net revenues are reinvested into system improvements, infrastructure, or helping maintain affordable rates.

Because we serve our community—not investors—our decisions are guided by what's best for our customers today and in the future.

Our Commitment to Customers

Energy markets will continue to fluctuate, but our commitment remains the same.

Every day, YCNGA works to provide safe, reliable, and affordable natural gas service through careful planning, responsible financial management, and long-term investment in the communities we serve.

By planning ahead and managing our resources wisely, we're able to help reduce the impact of changing energy markets while continuing to deliver the dependable service our customers expect.

Natural gas service is now available to additional homes and businesses along Hwy 161 (1400-1584) and Maynard Grayson Road in Clover (354-686), including a portion.

If your property is located within one of these areas and you're interested in connecting to natural gas, call 803-323-5304 to begin your service line request.

What happens next?
Learn more about establishing new service.

Don't see your neighborhood?
Complete our Natural Gas interest form to let us know you'd like service in your area.

Natural gas service is now available to additional homes and businesses along Black Highway in York (1875–2405) and Cedar Grove Road in Clover (120–1491), including a portion of King Road.

If your property is located within one of these areas and you're interested in connecting to natural gas, call 803-323-5304 to begin your service line request.

What happens next?
Learn more about establishing new service.

Don't see your neighborhood?
Complete our Natural Gas interest form to let us know you'd like service in your area.

Originally shared by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Rock Hill, S.C. – More than 500 endangered Schweinitz’s sunflowers are now conserved at York County’s Catawba Bend Preserve, thanks to staff from York County, the Catawba Nation, York County Natural Gas Authority, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“What we saw unfold in York County to protect those endangered plants was a model of imperiled species conservation. Those sunflowers are part of what makes York County unique, and the community showed up in a tremendous way to take care of them,” said Melissa Chaplin, biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In August 2025, Chaplin, who is based in Charleston, S.C., received an e-mail from Marvin Bouknight, then the natural resources program manager with the Catawba Nation.  Because of his work at Catawba Nation, and being familiar with the species, Bouknight was aware of a population growing along the shoulder of Church Road. He and fellow tribal biologist Courtney Skeldon had even been out to count them. While driving Church Road one day, he was caught off guard by the sight of tiny, white survey flags running through the population. Stopping to investigate, he saw the flags belonged to the York County Natural Gas Authority, leading him to cold call the authority, reaching Marc Fortner, project manager for the gas pipeline installation that was marked by the flags, and beginning a conversation about how to conserve the sunflowers.

“Marc was nothing but supportive of the entire effort to conserve the sunflowers. You could not have asked for a better partnership – the gas authority was on-board from the get-go and worked with us to conserve the plants. Without their cooperation, it never would’ve happened,” said Bouknight.

Initially it seemed the plants were safe as the plan was to bore the gas line beneath the plants, without disturbing the surface, but as the project developed, it became evident going beneath the plants wouldn’t be an option – a trench would have to be dug through the sunflowers. A new strategy was needed, so Bouknight broadened the conversation. With the help of staff at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, he connected with Chaplin, who works in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office that administers the Endangered Species Act in South Carolina. During this period, Bouknight joined York County Parks and Recreation Department as superintendent of Catawba Bend Preserve, with Courtney Skeldon taking over his role with the tribe. With York County Parks and Recreation, York County Natural Gas Authority, the Catawba Nation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service all represented around the table, conversation turned to moving the plants out of the gas line footprint to a place where they would enjoy long-term protection. Catawba Bend Preserve, a new park located in and operated by York County, was chosen as the destination.

Over four hot days in late spring and early summer, teams from York County Parks and Recreation, the Catawba Nation, and the Service transplanted more than 500sunflowers, digging them from the shoulder of Church Road and planting them at Catawba Bend Preserve, where the maintenance team had plowed a dedicated area to receive the plants. County staff used two portable water tanks to provide regular watering as a counter to drought conditions.  To minimize the effects of deer and rabbit browsing, they installed a solar electric fence to give the plants the best chances of survival

“Nothing like this happens because of one person,” said Bouknight. “It happens because passionate, dedicated folks see the value. This was elective from the start – nothing was mandated. It reminds me that there are still good people and organizations out there that care about our natural resources.”

Schweinitz’s sunflower is found only in the Piedmont of North Carolina and South Carolina and is considered an indicator of prairie remnants. It has been on the federal endangered species list since 1991, when only 13 populations were known to exist, though today that number has increased to 94.