PS Energy Extends Natural Gas Pipeline to Preston County Industrial Site

A new natural gas pipeline extension is set to bring service to Preston County’s industrial site on the former TAZ Hardwoods sawmill property in Hazelton, West Virginia. PS Energy Group is building the extension for the Preston County Economic Development Authority, with completion expected before the end of 2026.

The work could make the site more attractive to manufacturers and other commercial or industrial operators weighing an expansion or a new location. For those businesses, access to natural gas is one of the factors considered when assessing a potential site, said Roberta “Robbie” Baylor, the Authority’s executive director. The line’s extension gives Preston County another infrastructure asset to present as it seeks to attract and retain business.

Construction schedule and funding

Construction began on September 21, 2026, and crews started work onsite on November 2. The project is funded through a multi-million-dollar Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization grant secured by the Preston County Economic Development Authority. The grant program supports projects intended to put former coal-mining land to productive economic use.

The site is on the former sawmill property in Hazelton. The new line will extend the reach of infrastructure PS Energy already built in the county, connecting the industrial site to natural gas service. The project description does not specify the extension’s length, construction cost, capacity, or the number of businesses that could use the line.

That distinction matters for prospective tenants: extending service makes access possible, while each business’s operating needs and plans will determine how the infrastructure figures into a location decision. The project’s stated purpose is to serve businesses considering expansion or relocation in the area; no tenants or service start dates were identified.

Existing county infrastructure

PS Energy’s work in Preston County dates to 2000, when it built a natural gas pipeline serving the Hazelton complex and, shortly afterward, businesses in the adjoining industrial park. The current extension builds on that existing network and continues a relationship with the county that now spans more than 25 years.

“For more than 25 years, PS Energy has been proud to play a role in developing reliable energy infrastructures that support Preston County’s businesses and industries,” said Livia Whisenhunt, the company’s founder and CEO. She described the Hazelton project as a continuation of the original 2000 pipeline work and said the company expects the extension to support growth in the community.

PS Energy also points to an earlier natural gas pipeline project in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Built in 1996, that line has served the Federal Correctional Complex there. The company, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Atlanta, provides energy supply and management services, including natural gas pipeline construction and operation.

What the extension means for site prospects

For an industrial property, nearby utility infrastructure can affect how readily a prospective operator can assess a location. Natural gas service may be relevant to a manufacturer’s facility requirements, but the availability of a line alone does not establish that a particular operation’s demand, connection needs, or schedule can be met. The announcement gives no technical specifications or customer commitments, so those details would need to be established as businesses evaluate the property.

Baylor said natural gas access is among the first considerations manufacturers make when assessing locations. She described PS Energy as a long-standing county partner and said extending service to the sawmill property is intended to help Preston County compete for businesses that are expanding or relocating. The project is therefore both a physical extension of the pipeline network and an effort to improve the site’s appeal to potential users.

The next concrete milestone is completion of construction, which is expected before year-end. After that, the practical measure of the project’s effect will be whether businesses considering the Hazelton property can put the new service to use as part of their facility plans. Until specific users and operating requirements are identified, the extension’s immediate result is expanded natural gas access at the industrial site.

More information about PS Energy Group is available at psenergy.com. The Preston County Economic Development Authority provides information about its work at prestonwv.com.