Cascade Natural Gas Signs Its 200,000th Customer

Cascade Natural Gas Signs Its 200,000th Customer

		CASCADE NATURAL GAS REACHES 200 THOUSANDTH CUSTOMER Cascade's 200,000th customer: Don and Jeannie Daniels of Longview, WA. Pictured with Don and Jeannie is Cascade Customer Service Representative Tykie Malone (r). (PRNewsFoto)[AS] SEATTLE, WA USA

SEATTLE, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Cascade Natural Gas Corporation (NYSE: CGC) announced that Don and Jeannie Daniels of Longview, Washington are the Company's 200,000th customer. To commemorate the milestone, Cascade will provide a natural gas fireplace insert for the Daniels' home. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020219/SFTU179 ) Mr. Daniels said, "The natural gas fireplace is something we looked at when we were shopping for appliances, but our home remodeling budget didn't allow for it, so this is a very welcome surprise." The Daniels will also receive a natural gas energy certificate that will pay for the expected gas fireplace operating costs for one year, and a commemorative housewarming gift. Will Odell, Cascade's Vice President of Districts said, "Milestones come and go, but this is special because the 200,000th customer represents twice the number of customers we served just 12 years ago. That's a phenomenal compound growth rate of 6% per year; one of the fastest for natural gas utilities in the nation." He added, "This growth says a lot about the preference for natural gas as a home energy source in the Pacific Northwest. Also, it says a lot about our employees' commitment to keeping pace with this demand." The Daniels, long-time Longview residents, are having a natural gas furnace, water heater and range installed before they move into their Huntington Place home that is being remodeled. Mr. Daniels said, "We chose natural gas because we experienced the comfort of natural gas heat at my sister's home. We originally found a home that we liked, but it didn't have access to natural gas. When this home came on the market and we found out we could have natural gas service, our decision was a lot easier." Mr. Daniels is a tour foreman at Longview Fibre where he has worked for 32 years. Mrs. Daniels helped open the Target store in Kelso eleven years ago and is now a department manager at the store. The Daniels, married for 33 years, have two grown children and a granddaughter. The Daniels' son, Tim, (Daniels' Custom Construction), is supervising his parents' home remodeling project. The furnace, water heater, and range are being installed by Twin City Service Company of Kelso, and the fireplace insert will be installed by Dr. G's Appliance & Heating of Longview. Cascade Natural Gas has provided natural gas service to the Pacific Northwest since 1953 and began serving Cowlitz County after it purchased the Pacific Natural Gas Company in 1960. Cascade serves almost 3,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the communities of Longview (1,800), Kelso (550), Woodland (360), Kalama (130), and Castle Rock (125). Cascade now serves over 200,000 industrial, commercial and residential customers in 91 communities in the states of Washington and Oregon. The Company's stock is listed on the New York Stock exchange. CONTACT: Frank Mansell, Director Public Information of Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, +1-206-381-6838, or +1-206-849-9417.