Piedmont Natural Gas

A gas odor at Rockwell Elementary School in Rowan County, N.C., prompted an investigation by emergency crews and school facilities teams. Piedmont Natural Gas and the school system responded to address potential issues, but no students were present as it was a teacher workday, and no evacuations occurred. The cause of the odor and need for repairs remain unclear.

Piedmont Natural Gas, through the Duke Energy Foundation, is providing nearly $60,000 in grants to three Charlotte-area nonprofits to address hunger and housing insecurity. The funding supports organizations like Nourish Up, which received $20,000 to expand its food network in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties.

Residents in Matthews, N.C., are concerned after a second gas line break in two months, with one incident occurring near a previous explosion site that destroyed homes. A third-party excavator struck a gas line near McKee Road, prompting fears about safety during ongoing construction. Piedmont Natural Gas stated repairs were completed safely, prioritizing customer and community safety.

A natural gas leak caused the closure of the intersection of McKee Road and Pleasant Plains Road in Matthews, N.C., on July 9. Piedmont Natural Gas is addressing the leak, but the cause remains unspecified. A prior incident in May involved a gas main strike by a contractor, leading to an explosion and fire.

An intersection in Matthews is closed due to a natural gas leak. Crews from Piedmont Natural Gas and Matthews Fire & EMS are working on repairs. Residents are advised to avoid the area and use alternate routes like Weddington Road or East John Street.