Discover Atmos Energy’s dedication to safety, innovation, and environmental sustainability
Atmos Energy Corporation, a natural gas-only distributor, is an S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, with more than 3.3 million customers across eight states located primarily in the South. In Mississippi, under the leadership of Mississippi Division President Mathew Davidson, Atmos Energy delivers natural gas to approximately 274,000 customers in 110 communities.
“With over 79,000 miles of distribution and transmission pipelines, our company has regulated utility operations in Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia,” shares Mathew. “We safely provide reliable, efficient and abundant natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. To foster a positive customer experience, we encourage feedback through surveys and promote natural gas safety. We also own and operate 17 underground gas storage facilities, totaling over 66 billion cubic feet in working capacity in Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Texas. Atmos Pipeline-Texas, with approximately 5,700 miles of transmission pipelines across the state, manages approximately 80 percent of this working storage capacity. It provides transportation and storage services to local distribution companies behind its intrastate pipeline system.”
History of expansion
Atmos Energy’s history dates to 1906 in the Panhandle of Texas. Over the years, through various business combinations and mergers, the company became known as Pioneer Corporation, a large diversified West Texas energy company. In 1983, Energas, the natural gas distribution division of Pioneer, was spun off and became an independent, publicly held natural gas distribution company, changing its name to Atmos Energy in 1988. The Mississippi Division, in fact, was previously known as Mississippi Valley Gas from 1951 until 2002, when it was acquired by Atmos Energy. Today, Atmos Energy employs a total of approximately 5,200 people across the eight states it serves, with 340 of those employees in Mississippi.
Focus on safety
Natural gas is an affordable, reliable, and efficient fuel source that helps drive economic development and meet Mississippi’s growing demand for energy. Atmos Energy offers financial incentives that include infrastructure expansion allowances in addition to rebates for high-efficiency natural gas equipment and technology solutions.
Atmos Energy’s vision is to be the safest provider of natural gas services, so the company is committed to the safety of its customers, employees and communities, as well as the safe and reliable operation of its natural gas system. “Our employees live and work in the communities we serve,” Mathew elaborates. “We come to work every day focused on our vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services. The work we are doing throughout Mississippi enhances the safety and reliability of the system for our customers and communities.
“Over the past ten years, Atmos Energy has invested $1.1 billion throughout Mississippi, and $863.9 million was spent on enhancing the safety and reliability of our system,” Mathew adds. “System modernization, safety, technology, and workforce costs will also continue to drive significant capital investments in Mississippi. Atmos Energy spent $202.3 million in fiscal year 2024 and plans to spend $220.9 million in fiscal year 2025.”
Technology is advancing rapidly, and Mathew says it will be an integral part of Atmos Energy’s plan in Mississippi. “Our team applies innovative and state-of-the-art technology, including pilot programs using satellite and other aerial methane detection,” he says. “This enables us to prioritize leak detection, monitoring, and leak repair to enhance safety and protect the environment. We regularly review technological advances as they are brought into the market to determine if they will provide increased value to our leak detection and monitoring efforts,” he explains. “One example is our Advanced Mobile Leak Detection (AMLD) technology, which uses Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS). The CRDS is 1,000 times more sensitive than traditional technologies. Atmos Energy currently deploys a fleet of 20 AMLD units, with at least one unit operating in every division.”
That focus on innovation extends beyond the local distribution systems. “To monitor storage and compression facilities, Atmos Energy uses a variety of fixed and portable cameras and equipment to conduct inspections,” says Mathew. “We are in the midst of a multi-year program to install continuous ultrasonic leak detection and monitoring systems at all storage and compression facilities, and we completed the installation and commissioning of these systems at our Amory and Goodwin storage and compressor stations in Mississippi.”
Serving new communities
Atmos Energy has also been a leader in creating an infrastructure expansion program in Mississippi to deliver gas services to rural and unserved areas, where many residents have no choice but to use propane, which is more expensive and less convenient than natural gas.
“This started in Mississippi but has been a topic of national conversation,” continues Mathew. “In 2017, the commission gave Atmos Energy permission for an expansion initiative, providing $5 million per year, which enabled Atmos Energy to expand gas service into rural areas. Demand for projects is far outpacing the budgeted dollars. In 2018, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners convened a natural gas access task force to identify and suggest methods and recommendations for expanding natural gas into underserved and unserved rural communities.” Rural demand for reliable, affordable energy is high in the state, and Atmos Energy has successfully expanded its gas service to over 4,000 new customers and has spent more than $33 million on rural expansion since 2018.
Competitive advantage
Atmos Energy is always looking to grow its natural gas infrastructure in rural areas and beyond. “We routinely partner with communities and corporations to encourage economic growth. Funds are available through our Supplemental Growth Program, which was also created in partnership with the Mississippi Public Service Commission. The program is designed to encourage industrial development and job creation. The funds allow Atmos Energy to invest in expanding natural gas infrastructure to industrial sites.
“The Mississippi Division,” Mathew shares, “serves the largest industrial customer across the Atmos Energy footprint, which is Steel Dynamics in Columbus. The parent company of Steel Dynamics recently announced an expansion: a $2.5 billion project, Aluminum Dynamics, which is one of the biggest economic development projects in Mississippi history and will more than double the gas load of the two plants. The affordability and reliability of natural gas is one of Mississippi’s competitive advantages in attracting businesses, especially energy-intensive manufacturing businesses that depend on a low cost of energy to operate, such as Steel Dynamics and International Pulp and Paper in Columbus and Yokohama Tire in West Point.”
Emissions reduction plan
In addition to its intense focus on safety and economic growth, Atmos Energy’s comprehensive environmental strategy supports a lower carbon future. “Modernizing our natural gas distribution and transmission system is a core component of our vision,” Mathew explains. “Modernization not only enhances safety and reliability but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is essential for meeting the nation’s energy demands.”
As America’s most abundant and affordable fuel, natural gas supplies almost one-fourth of all the energy used nationwide. “Carbon dioxide emissions from residences using natural gas for space heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying are approximately 18 percent lower than those attributable to an all-electric home,” says Mathew. “In fiscal year 2024, we continued to execute our comprehensive environmental strategy focused on reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3, as defined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and other environmental impacts from our operations, fleet, facilities, gas supply, and customer end-use.”
Mathew adds, “We are working towards a goal to reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution system mains and services by 50 percent from 2017 to 2035. This goal reflects the environmental benefit associated with system modernization efforts through the replacement of higher emitting pipeline materials with lower emitting pipe materials, as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency. As of calendar year end (CYE) 2023, we achieved an approximate 23 percent reduction from CYE 2017.”
Community support
Alongside its commitment to environmental stewardship, the company is equally focused on giving back to the communities in which it operates. “Our ‘Fueling Safe and Thriving Communities’ program focuses on three pillars – fueling bright minds and healthy futures for kids, fueling honor and thanks for our community heroes, and fueling hope and growth for our neighbors,” Mathew highlights. “Whether it is by reading to students, working with local food banks, or showing appreciation to our hometown heroes, Atmos Energy is committed to making a difference in the Mississippi communities we call home.
“In fiscal year 2024 in Mississippi, nearly 11,000 Atmos Energy customers received more than $4.49 million in bill assistance, and we provided $1.1 million in utility assistance to local energy assistance agencies throughout Mississippi. Last year we partnered with local agencies to host three Energy Assistance Blitzes that assisted 1,403 households with their bills. Our Mississippi employees also volunteered 1,010 hours of community service in fiscal year 2024,” says Mathew.
“Furthermore, the Mississippi Division has donated $1.5 million to more than 125 different organizations, with about 50 percent donated in and around Jackson, Mississippi’s capital and our largest customer base in the state,” says Mathew. When disaster hit Jackson with the failure of its water plants in 2022, Atmos Energy jumped in to help. “In 2022, we contributed $50,000 to the Disaster Relief Fund and the Jackson Public Schools Emergency Fund to accelerate community recovery from the Jackson water crisis,” says Mathew. “Half of that funding supported students enrolled at Jackson public schools, while the other half supported the Hub for the Hungry program. We provided an additional $25,000 to United Way of the Capital Area and Visit Jackson, which supported small businesses during that time, and we donated food to the volunteers and government workers who worked overtime at the water plant.” The company’s support extended to other Mississippi cities hit with challenges. “In 2023, we were honored to support tornado relief efforts in Rolling Fork and Amory by donating $250,000 and providing more than 1,000 meals to faculty, students, and staff at South Delta School,” adds Mathew.
“Among the many dozens of organizations we support are Habitat for Humanity, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, The Salvation Army, United Way, The Baddour Center Home for adults with special needs, The American Association of Blacks in Energy scholarship fundraisers, and hundreds of other nonprofits that are making a difference throughout our service territory.”
Unique culture
Indeed, Atmos Energy strives for a workforce that reflects the 1,400 unique communities it serves, believing that the meaningful contributions of a workforce with various skills, talents, backgrounds, and experiences foster innovation and engagement, supporting the company’s vision of being the safest provider of natural gas services.
“Our unique culture is called AtmoSpirit,” Mathew reveals, “which has been the foundation of our enduring success and deeply rooted commitment to safety. AtmoSpirit principles are the beliefs and behaviors we embrace as a company, driving our actions at work, in our communities, and at home. Established over 20 years ago, AtmoSpirit is based on five core principles: Inspire Trust, Be at Your Best, Bring Out the Best in Others, Make a Difference, and Focus on the Future.
“From their first day of employment until their retirement, all employees learn and live AtmoSpirit. Our values and their impact inform our employees’ decisions, actions, and attitudes,” says Mathew. “AtmoSpirit helps our employees understand the value of diverse life experiences and perspectives, recognize blind spots and biases, and appreciate that inclusive and diverse teams are essential to success. Atmos Energy’s Culture Council sustains and strengthens AtmoSpirit. Comprised of employees from across the enterprise who best exemplify our values, the Culture Council convenes regularly to help monitor employees’ health, emotional well-being, and career satisfaction levels. The Culture Council periodically connects with employees and provides them with opportunities to share their personal experiences and opinions about working at Atmos Energy.
“We also encourage our employees to never stop growing. The Robert W. Best Educational Assistance program is available to all full-time employees upon hiring. The program provides up to $5,250 in tax-free assistance annually for tuition, books, administration, transfer, and related expenses. In calendar year 2023, people who retired from the company had an average service tenure of 25 years. Overall, Atmos Energy has an average employee tenure of 11 years – nearly three times the national average – which is proof that Atmos Energy cares deeply about our employees. We look forward to serving our customers for years to come.” Mathew concludes.