UNITED STATES OF AMERICA —National Fuel Gas Company has finalized the purchase of Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, LLC, a natural gas distribution subsidiary previously owned by CenterPoint Energy. Following the fulfillment of customary closing conditions, the acquired entity will operate under the rebranded entity name National Fuel Gas Distribution of Ohio, LLC. Headquartered in Williamsville, New York, National Fuel Gas Company is an integrated diversified energy business with operations spanning upstream natural gas production, midstream gathering and storage infrastructure, and downstream regulated utility services.
The strategic transaction incorporates approximately 335,000 commercial and residential natural gas customers spanning 16 counties across the Dayton and greater Miami Valley regions of Ohio. Along with infrastructure assets and service rights, National Fuel absorbs approximately 200 operational employees from the former utility into its corporate structure, ensuring continuity across existing distribution networks, billing protocols, and local operations.
This portfolio acquisition serves as a pivotal strategic shift for National Fuel by expanding its low-risk utility segment relative to its upstream energy exposure. By doubling the company's regulated utility rate base, the market entry into Ohio aligns with capital deployment goals aimed at securing stable, predictable utility earnings. Ohio offers a constructive regulatory environment supportive of natural gas infrastructure and ongoing utility investments.
For energy infrastructure stakeholders and utility investors, the consolidation underlines broader industry trends of capital deployment into stable regulated rate bases to offset volatile commodity pricing. Expanding downstream customer density to approximately 1.1 million total accounts provides National Fuel with greater balance sheet stability, enlarged organic capital investment pipelines, and sustained operational scale within regional Midwestern gas markets.
