New company to take over TXU gas services

More than 5,000 natural gas consumers in the lower Panhandle will be dealing with a new utility in just a few months.

TXU Gas announced last week that it will sell approximately 250 miles of pipeline as well as distribution facilities serving Clarendon, Hedley, Lelia Lake, Memphis, Estelline, Dodson, Newlin, Samnorwood, Wellington, and Paducah to G&L Utilities.

According to TXU spokesman Doug Hill, the gas company has been looking at this sale since last summer.

“Management is continuously looking at our assets.” Hill said. “We’re glad someone locally is looking at this service. They should be able to provide better service for local people.”

G&L Utility Services, Inc., is owned by Greenbelt Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Wellington and Lighthouse Electric Cooperative, Inc., in Floydada.

Greenbelt manager of member services Brent Wheeler said G&L may or may not be the final name of the new company, and the location of the new company’s headquarters hasn’t been determined.

“We’re mainly concerned about keeping local jobs and local ownership of the gas services,” he said.

Wheeler notes last year’s sale of GTE’s phone exchanges to Valor Telecom and the current TXU sell off as a sign large corporations are losing interest in small towns.

“It’s sad that the bigger companies don’t seem to want these rural areas,” Wheeler said.

Neither Greenbelt nor Lighthouse has experience in natural gas distribution, but Wheeler thinks the rural electric cooperatives will do a better job of providing service to small towns.

“We hope to respond quicker to the needs of the people,” he said. “And the good news is you’ll have someone local you can yell at.”

In addition to having local employees and an office in nearby Wellington, Greenbelt Electric is run by a board of directors. Stan Shelton from Clarendon sits on that board, Wheeler said.

“We’ve provided the rural areas around most of these towns with electric distribution service for over 50 years,” Greenbelt Electric general manager Stan McLendon said in a TXU press release. “We are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to our neighbors. We plan to have qualified, dedicated employees in or near all the communities to provide dependable, personal service.”

TXU employees affected by the sale will have the opportunity to continue employment with TXU or may be offered positions with the purchasing company.

The gas company says it will work with G&L Utilities over the winter and longer if necessary to provide a smooth transition and continued reliable service to customers.

“The sale will be in the best interests of consumers,” Hill said.

TXU is also selling distribution facilities and 100 miles of pipeline serving communities in the San Angelo area to West Texas Gas.

Hill said the sale is tentatively scheduled to be completed by March 31, 2001, but Wheeler said the new company may not have possession until April or May.