Atmos Energy representative briefs Young County on local assets, investments and leak-detection program

Pam Hughespack, a public-affairs representative for Atmos Energy, addressed the Young County Commissioners Court to describe the company’s local pipeline assets, recent investments and community programs.

Atmos told commissioners it has invested about $4.276 million in Young County since 2020 and said it spent more than $1 million in capital expenditures in Young County during the last year. Pam said Atmos supports local nonprofits and energy-assistance programs and that the company donated more than $100,000 last year to entities that help customers with bill assistance and other needs.

Hughespack also described Atmos’s mobile leak-detection vehicle, the AMLD car, which she said operates overnight in areas where Atmos has assets and can detect gas leaks earlier than prior methods. She said the vehicle typically runs from about 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. and that detected leaks are graded; repairs for detected issues are scheduled based on severity, with nonhazardous leaks repaired within six months and hazardous leaks prioritized more quickly.

During public comment, residents asked whether Atmos could supply natural gas to a proposed power plant or data center; Hughespack said Atmos’s local assets do not currently extend to a nearby power plant and that the company is discussing potential supply arrangements with customers and developers in other parts of the state. She characterized the company as focused on safety: "We're a safety company that sells gas."

Pam left contact information and a packet for county officials that includes a breakdown of community donations, capital projects and an overview of Atmos’s emissions-reduction goals. She said Atmos is working to reduce carbon emissions and reported progress toward a 2035 target announced in 2017.

No formal county action resulted from the presentation; Hughespack said she offered to help facilitate future conversations between the county and Atmos staff.