Company History

Before the existence of Corning Natural Gas (CNG or CNGC), the company began as Crystal City Gas Company on August 30, 1904 under ownership of a Pennsylvania gas company. For the next 50 years, there were several ownership changes, but little company growth. Crystal City received natural gas from transmission lines installed in Northern Pennsylvania to Cram Farm in Caton. From 1949-1953, many significant changes took place. Because of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, the Pennsylvania owners divested of their New York assets. Crystal City Gas Company was renamed Corning Natural Gas Corporation in 1954 with a subsidiary, Corning Natural Gas Appliance Corporation, and was under new management.

From the 1950's to the 1990's, rapid growth and expansion took place with the installation of new pipelines and growth in the residential appliance business. In 1986, FERC issued orders permitting large commercial and industrial customers the right to purchase their own gas. Local distribution companies, like Corning Natural Gas, then would transport that gas for a fee on their pipelines. By 1988, 54% of gas in the company pipelines was transported, compared to 20% in 1987. Corning Natural Gas transports gas to two other utilities, NYSEG and BEGWS.

In 2006, the Corning Natural Gas company ownership changed hands under new leadership and a new board of directors. Four years later, a partnership with Mirabito Regulated Industries was formed in November of 2010 and created Leatherstocking Gas Company (LGC), with franchises in both NY and PA. Corning Natural Gas Holding Corporation (CNGHC) was formed July 10, 2013, as a publicly traded corporation that became the parent company of CNGC and LGC. In August of 2016, CNGHC purchased Pike County Light and Power, a Pennsylvania gas and electric company, from Orange and Rockland Utilities. On January 9, 2020, the other 50% of Leatherstocking Gas Company PA was purchased by CNGHC. Leatherstocking New York was sold to MRI by December of the following year. On July 6th, 2022, Corning Natural Gas Holding Corporation was sold to a private investment firm, Argo Infrastructure Partners/ACP Crotona. The CNGHC stock was delisted and the company is no longer publicly traded. The parent company name was changed from Corning Natural Gas Holding Corporation to Corning Energy Corporation.

CNGC is the largest of the Corning Energy Group's subsidiaries and is a local, natural gas distribution company with 425 miles of mains that sells or transports natural gas to approximately 15,000 customers. Gas deliveries are made across 23 towns and villages, over 400 square miles, throughout the Southern Tier and Central regions of New York State.

With 65 employees and from one office location, we annually transport approximately 8 Bcf of natural gas to commercial, industrial, residential, and wholesale customers. The company provides gas delivery and transportation services to NYSEG in Elmira, BEGWS in the Village of Bath and for local gas producers in New York and Pennsylvania.

Safety, reliability, and superior customer service continue to be the focus of management and employees as we work each day to improve the value we provide for our customers.