Great Plains Natural Gas

What Great Plains Natural Gas does

Great Plains Natural Gas Co. is a regulated natural gas distribution utility and a division of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., itself a wholly-owned subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE: MDU). Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota with a district office in Marshall, Minnesota, the company distributes natural gas to approximately 22,500–24,750 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers across 18 western Minnesota communities. Effective December 1, 2024, Wahpeton, North Dakota customers were transitioned to Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.'s integrated natural gas system, narrowing the service territory to Minnesota only.

Core operations rely on owned underground pipeline infrastructure, gas meters, pressure regulation systems, and 24/7 integrity management and leak survey programs (conducted via partner Heath Consultants). Customer-facing technology includes an online account services portal (customer.gpng.com) with multi-factor authentication, a construction self-service portal (construction.gpng.com) for new installation requests, and a property portal for landlord continuous-service agreements. Payment processing is outsourced to Paymentus, which integrates PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal Credit.

Revenue is generated primarily through state-regulated tariffs approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (and previously the North Dakota Public Service Commission) under multiple rate schedules: Residential Gas Service (Rate 60), Firm General Service (Rate 70), Small Interruptible (Rate 71), Interruptible Grain Drying (Rate 73), and Large Interruptible (Rate 85). Revenue streams include a fixed Basic Service Charge plus volumetric Distribution Charge, a Conservation Cost Recovery Adjustment funding ECO Programs, an Infrastructure Cost Adjustment for federally mandated pipeline safety replacements, and pass-through Cost of Gas (which yields no margin). The company complements distribution revenue with energy efficiency rebates, Home Protection Plans offered via HomeServe partnership, and the ECO Fund community grant program.

Name

Great Plains Natural Gas

Legal name

Great Plains Natural Gas Co.

Website

https://gpng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Great Plains Natural Gas is a regulated natural gas distribution utility and division of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (MDU Resources Group subsidiary), serving approximately 22,500–24,750 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers across 18 western Minnesota communities under state-approved tariffs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Gas Distribution

NAICS

Natural Gas Distribution (22121), Natural Gas Distribution (221210), Natural Gas Distribution (2212)

SIC

Natural Gas Distribution (4924), Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923)

akta.pro primary industry

Gas Mains (Distribution Pipelines) (EUAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Service Lines, Connections & Customer Hookups (New Taps) (TLAGADAF), Regulated Natural Gas Utility (LDC) Customer Acquisition & Switching (EUAAADAA)

Keywords

• Natural gas distribution
• Regulated utility services
• Residential gas service
• Commercial gas service
• Energy efficiency rebates

Headquarters

HQ city

Fergus Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Natural Gas Distribution Services: Regulated utility revenue from natural gas distribution to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Includes Basic Service Charge (fixed monthly/daily fee) and Distribution Charge (volumetric charge based on energy usage). Rates approved by state regulatory commissions (Minnesota PUC, North Dakota PSC).
2. Cost of Gas Pass-Through: The cost of gas itself as well as other related costs incurred from pipeline suppliers in providing natural gas service. This is a strict pass-through to customers and does not provide profit to Great Plains Natural Gas.
3. Conservation Cost Recovery Adjustment (CCRA): Charge that provides funding for Conservation Programs. A base charge is billed as part of the distribution charge in addition to the CCRA.
4. Infrastructure Cost Adjustment: Volumetric charge that recovers costs related to the replacement of natural gas distribution facilities required to comply with state and federal pipeline safety programs.
5. Energy Efficiency Rebates: Rebate payments issued to customers who purchase and install high-efficiency natural gas equipment through ECO Programs. Rebates are issued in the form of checks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Great Plains Natural Gas Co. distributes natural gas through owned pipeline infrastructure to approximately 22,500-24,750 residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers across 18 western Minnesota communities. The company operates as a regulated monopoly utility under state-approved tariffs set by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, offering a Basic Service Charge plus volumetric Distribution Charge, pass-through Cost of Gas charges, and complementary services including bill assistance, energy efficiency rebates, balanced billing, and home protection plans in partnership with HomeServe.

Product overview

Great Plains Natural Gas is a regulated natural gas distribution utility and a division of Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. (subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, Inc.), serving approximately 22,500-24,750 customers across 18 western Minnesota communities and Wahpeton, North Dakota. The company's core product is natural gas distribution services, which includes Online Account Services, Payment Options (via Paymentus), E-Bill, Continuous Service Agreement, Property Portal, and Rates & Tariffs. The utility offers complementary services including Home Protection Plans (via HomeServe), Energy Efficiency Programs (ECO Programs) with residential, commercial, and income-qualified incentive programs, Bill Assistance Programs including the Gas Affordability Program, Pipeline Safety Services, Balanced Billing, Quality Control Survey, and the Environmental Community Opportunity (ECO) Fund. The company is transitioning Wahpeton customers to Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. rate schedules effective December 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Natural Gas Distribution Services Regulated natural gas distribution service delivering gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers across 18 western Minnesota communities (and previously Wahpeton, ND) via owned underground pipeline infrastructure, mains, service lines, gas meters, and pressure regulation systems. Approved rates set by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and North Dakota Public Service Commission.
• Online Account Services Customer-facing web portal (customer.gpng.com) enabling account management, bill viewing, payment processing, service requests, and property portal access with multi-factor authentication for security.
• Construction Self Service Portal (New Installation Request) Online application system for requesting new natural gas service for homes, businesses, and subdivisions, with project status tracking throughout the construction process.
• Energy Efficiency Programs (ECO Programs) - Residential, Commercial, and Income Qualified Incentive Programs Conservation Improvement Programs offering rebates and incentives for energy-efficient natural gas equipment, including residential rebates (water heaters, furnaces, boilers, Wi-Fi thermostats, attic insulation), commercial and industrial rebates (water heating, space heating, steam boilers, building certification, custom projects), and income-qualified programs covering up to 50-100% of equipment costs for qualifying customers.
• Gas Affordability Program (GAP) Minnesota program helping qualified customers manage monthly gas heating bills (capped at 4% of household income) and pay past-due balances through matching GAP installment credits, administered with referral partners including The Salvation Army and Energy Assistance Agencies.
• Home Protection Plans (by HomeServe) Optional home emergency repair programs offered in partnership with HomeServe covering repair costs for gas lines, water lines, and interior electrical lines for residential customers.
• Continuous Service Agreement (CSA) and Property Portal Service option and dedicated online portal for property owners and landlords to maintain continuous gas service at their properties without interruption between tenants, with the ability to add/remove properties and determine service responsibility.
• Balanced Billing Average or levelized billing plan for residential customers that smooths out seasonal fluctuations by calculating a 12-month running average of natural gas consumption.
• Rates & Tariffs Approved rate schedules including Residential Gas Service (Rate 60), Firm General Service (Rate 70), Small Interruptible (Rate 71), Interruptible Grain Drying (Rate 73), Interruptible Transportation (Rates 81/82), Large Interruptible (Rate 85), and Renewable Natural Gas Producer Access (Rate 87).
• Pipeline Safety Services Safety education and services including 24/7 emergency response, damage prevention education, leak detection surveys, excess flow valve installation, meter safety, call-before-you-dig (811) coordination, and quality control surveys.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% reduction in natural gas prices compared to previous winter (2023-2024 projection)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HomeServeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Plains Natural Gas collaborated with HomeServe, a premier provider of home emergency repair programs. HomeServe offers home protection plans for customers covering repair costs for essential home systems.
• Heath ConsultantscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHeath Consultants was hired to perform the annual quality control survey of the natural gas system. Technicians inspect natural gas mains and service lines, requiring access to customer property and gas meters.
• Frontier EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Plains partnered with Frontier Energy to deliver the Low-Income Multi-Family Building Efficiency Program, which provides building assessments and energy efficiency improvements for income-qualified multi-family properties.
• PaymentuscoreTechnology or IntegrationPaymentus is the third-party billing and payment vendor providing online and phone bill payment services for Great Plains Natural Gas customers. Supports credit/debit cards, ACH, and digital wallet payments.
• The Salvation ArmycoreOthersThe Salvation Army is a referral partner for the Gas Affordability Program (GAP), helping qualified customers manage their monthly gas heating bills and pay past-due balances.
• Energy Assistance AgenciescoreOthersNetwork of Energy Assistance Weatherization and Conservation Providers including West Central MN Communities Action, Prairie Five Community Action Council, United Community Action Partnership, Mahube-Otwa Community Action Partnership, and Tri-Valley Opportunity Council to administer LIHEAP and energy assistance programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ONE Gas: Pure-play natural gas distribution utility serving Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. Highly comparable in business model (regulated LDC-only with state-approved rates and cost-recovery riders), customer mix, and infrastructure replacement capex profile.
• Northwest Natural Gas Company: Investor-owned natural gas distribution utility serving Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Comparable in Pacific Northwest / upper-Midwest rural and small-metro service profile, regulated LDC model, and emphasis on conservation programs and pipeline safety.
• Black Hills Energy: Large diversified utility holding company operating regulated natural gas distribution utilities across multiple Midwestern and Western states. Comparable in providing regulated LDC service to residential, commercial, and industrial customers, though at significantly greater scale than GPNG.
• Atmos Energy: Large multi-state regulated natural gas distribution utility serving customers across the South, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic. Comparable in regulated LDC operating model, weather-sensitive residential demand, and similar rate structure mechanics including fixed monthly charges and volumetric distribution charges.
• Spire Inc. Natural gas distribution holding company operating regulated LDCs in Missouri, Alabama, and Mississippi. Directly comparable business model (pure-play LDC), regulatory framework (state PSC oversight with rate cases and riders), and customer segments (residential, commercial, industrial, interruptible).
• Southwest Gas Holdings: Holding company for Southwest Gas Corporation, a regulated natural gas distributor serving Arizona, Nevada, and California. Comparable in regulated LDC business, weather-sensitive residential heating demand, and infrastructure investment programs for pipeline safety modernization.
• CenterPoint Energy: Major investor-owned utility operating regulated natural gas distribution in Minnesota (Minnesota Energy Resources) and several other states. Overlaps with GPNG's Minnesota service territory and provides a comparable mix of residential, commercial, and interruptible transportation service offerings.

Direct peers

• Cascade Natural Gas Corporation: Sister company under MDU Resources serving Oregon and Washington as a regulated natural gas distribution utility. Closely comparable in customer profile (small commercial and residential mix), regulatory model (state PUC oversight), and product offering (residential, C&I, interruptible transportation).
• Intermountain Gas Company: Another MDU Resources sister utility operating as a regulated natural gas distribution company in Idaho. Directly comparable as a small-state LDC within the same corporate family; Hart Gilchrist previously held senior operations roles here, evidencing personnel interchangeability across the MDU gas utilities.
• Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Direct parent/sister company of Great Plains Natural Gas; also a regulated natural gas (and electric) distribution utility within the MDU Resources family serving North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Most directly comparable given shared corporate governance, identical regulatory model, and the recent absorption of GPNG's Wahpeton customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gpnaturalgas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcpVS_ZrHlckSoQsPdQ6wMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/gpngco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-plains-natural-gas
• Instagraminstagram.com/great_plains_natural_gas

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Plains Natural Gas