Congratulation to Sandpiper Energy as the team completed its final segment of gas conversions in Ocean City, MD, and the surrounding areas. Since the acquisition of Sandpiper Energy in 2013, our Sandpiper Energy colleagues converted approximately 10,000 customers from propane gas to natural gas in Berlin, West Ocean City, Ocean Pines, and Ocean City, Maryland. As of April, Sandpiper Energy had less than 500 accounts remaining to be converted, primarily in Pocomoke City, MD, and the town of Snow Hill, MD.

2013

Completed the purchase of the operating assets of the Eastern Shore Gas Company. Under a newly formed subsidiary, Sandpiper Energy, Inc., we assumed responsibility for operating underground propane distribution systems in Worcester County, MD. By extending our energy business farther into Maryland, Sandpiper Energy began providing services to approximately 11,000 residential and commercial propane underground distribution system customers. Sandpiper Energy installed a new natural gas distribution line to the town of Berlin, MD, and initiated the process of converting propane customers to natural gas service.

2014  

Sandpiper Energy, Inc. converted more than 1,243 customers in Wicomico County, MD, from propane to natural gas on the Sandpiper system. The conversions included 88 percent residential customers and 12 percent commercial customers.

2015

Sandpiper Energy’s customer conversions in total were approximately 1,190.

2016

Sandpiper Energy customer conversions were 1,539. The Public Service Commission of Maryland approved a settlement agreement associated with Sandpiper Energy’s 2015 base rate case filing, which resulted in a reduction in its delivery service rates over the next six years. The agreement also included an introduction of several new service offerings, including a natural gas compression service for commercial customers and a program to support the use of propane gas or natural gas in multi-family housing.

2017

In 2017, Sandpiper Energy brought natural gas service to the town of Ocean City, MD, as part of the Company’s ongoing initiatives to increase energy options for residents. Sandpiper Energy’s customer conversions in total were 1,652.

2018

Sandpiper Energy’s customer conversions were 2,005.

2019 

Sandpiper Energy’s customer conversions were 2,064.

2020

In May, Sandpiper Energy completed the remainder of customer conversions from propane gas to natural gas in Ocean City, MD, marking natural gas as the primary source of low carbon energy in the area. This milestone demonstrates the effectiveness of our employees’ innovation, strategic planning and hard work.  With this accomplishment, the 30,000-gallon propane tanks were removed from Sandpiper Energy’s operations center in Ocean City and sold to Sharp Energy. Sharp Energy will recommission the tanks and use them at Sharp Energy’s bulk plant in Bishopville, DE.  Sandpiper Energy’s customer conversions were 1,017 in 2020 for a total of 10,017 customers conversions completed from 2014 to 2020.