COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 22121

Natural Gas Distribution

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

30companies1870–1998founding years28still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedAtlantic Richfield CompanyFoundedAtlantic Richfield Company
1870
FoundedMadison Gas and Electric Company
1896
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedThe Williams Companies, Inc.
1908
FoundedNorthwest Natural Gas Company
1910
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedNorthWestern Corporation
1923
FoundedAllegheny Energy, Inc.FoundedAllegheny Energy, Inc.FoundedVEW AG
1925
FoundedNortheast Utilities
1927
FoundedNiagara Mohawk Holdings Inc.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedChinese Petroleum Corporation
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedEntergy CorporationFoundedEntergy Corporation
1949
FoundedThe Coastal Corporation
1955
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedUnitil Corporation
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedCentrica plc
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedFortum Corporation
1998
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Atlantic Richfield Company →
Active · founded 1870
Atlantic Richfield Company, better known as ARCO, is the seventh-largest U.S.
Atlantic Richfield Company →
Active · founded 1870
Atlantic Richfield Company, better known as ARCO, is the seventh-largest U.S.
Madison Gas and Electric Company →
Active · founded 1896
Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE) is a relatively small power company that has remained independent and profitable…
Madison Gas and Electric Company →
Active · founded 1896
Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE) is a relatively small power company that has remained independent and profitable…
The Williams Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1908
The Williams Companies, Inc., is the largest interstate natural gas supplier in the United States.
The Williams Companies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1908
The Williams Companies, Inc., is the largest interstate natural gas supplier in the United States.
Northwest Natural Gas Company →
Active · founded 1910
Northwest Natural Gas Company, which does business as Northwest Natural, distributes natural gas to approximately…
Northwest Natural Gas Company →
Active · founded 1910
Northwest Natural Gas Company, which does business as Northwest Natural, distributes natural gas to approximately…
NorthWestern Corporation →
Active · founded 1923
One of the United States' fastest-growing companies, NorthWestern Corporation is a diversified holding company with…
NorthWestern Corporation →
Active · founded 1923
One of the United States' fastest-growing companies, NorthWestern Corporation is a diversified holding company with…
Allegheny Energy, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
Allegheny Energy, Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
VEW AG →
Active · founded 1925 · Germany
VEW AG is one of Germany's leading utility companies and is active throughout Europe.
VEW AG →
Active · founded 1925 · Germany
VEW AG is one of Germany's leading utility companies and is active throughout Europe.
Northeast Utilities →
Active · founded 1927
Northeast Utilities (NU) is New England's largest utility company.
Northeast Utilities →
Active · founded 1927
Northeast Utilities (NU) is New England's largest utility company.
Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1929
Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc.
Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1929
Niagara Mohawk Holdings Inc.
Chinese Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1946 · Republic of China
Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) is a state-owned enterprise that is responsible for the Republic of China's…
Chinese Petroleum Corporation →
Active · founded 1946 · Republic of China
Chinese Petroleum Corporation (CPC) is a state-owned enterprise that is responsible for the Republic of China's…
Entergy Corporation →
Active · founded 1949
Entergy Corporation is a holding company for utilities that supply electrical energy to over 2.5 million customers in…
Entergy Corporation →
Active · founded 1949
Entergy Corporation is a holding company for utilities that supply electrical energy to over 2.5 million customers in…
The Coastal Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
The Coastal Corporation, based in Houston with operations in several energy markets, is a Fortune 500 energy company…
The Coastal Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
The Coastal Corporation, based in Houston with operations in several energy markets, is a Fortune 500 energy company…
Unitil Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company system.
Unitil Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Unitil Corporation is a public utility holding company system.
Centrica plc →
Active · founded 1997 · United Kingdom
Centrica plc is the largest gas supplier in the United Kingdom, serving 16 million households, and a growing force in…
Centrica plc →
Active · founded 1997 · United Kingdom
Centrica plc is the largest gas supplier in the United Kingdom, serving 16 million households, and a growing force in…
Fortum Corporation →
Active · founded 1998 · Finland
Fortum Corporation is an international energy group formed from the 1998 merger of two state-owned Finnish firms: Neste…
Fortum Corporation →
Active · founded 1998 · Finland
Fortum Corporation is an international energy group formed from the 1998 merger of two state-owned Finnish firms: Neste…
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