Century Hopes Free BBQ Might Cook Pensacola Energy In Gas Dispute

June 5, 2014

The Town of Century is hoping a free BBQ dinner will convince some area residents that they would be better served by the Town of Century Gas Department than Pensacola Energy.

Pensacola  Energy currently provides natural gas service to three schools and one commercial customer in Bratt and Walnut Hill, plus a few dozen residential customers — all within the Town of Century’s gas franchise area. Pensacola and Century are disputing Pensacola Energy’s continued right to serve those customers, as Century seeks a franchise extension from the Escambia County Commission for a geographic area that spans from the Escambia River westward to almost the Perdido River and from the Alabama state line southward to near Bogia.

Mayor Freddie McCall said invitations to the BBQ were sent to Pensacola Energy customers in North Escambia, and Century staffers have been door to door to explain the franchise disagreement to those customers.

McCall said he and gas department employees will be on hand at the BBQ to let Pensacola Energy customers know that gas service from the Town of Century would be much cheaper.

Regardless of how well the free dinner goes, it’s mostly a public relations move at this point  to win support — Century does not have infrastructure in place to serve the Bratt and Walnut Hill customers. That’s not likely to happen until the county commission affirms the franchise for another 50 years and Century installs gas pipelines or acquires the existing Pensacola Energy network in the area.

The BBQ, open to any Pensacola Energy customer in the Bratt and Walnut Hill area, will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Walnut Hill Community Center (Ruritan Building) on Highway 97.

In April, the Escambia County Commission delayed action on the franchise agreement for Pensacola and Century to come to terms. So far, McCall said, that has not happened.

Pictured top: A Pensacola Energy meter in front of Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill, inside the Town of Century gas franchise area.  Pictured below: The Town of Century’s gas franchise map (click to enlarge). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “Century Hopes Free BBQ Might Cook Pensacola Energy In Gas Dispute”

  1. Paul on June 5th, 2014 11:51 am

    Keep it local..Support Century

  2. jeeperman on June 5th, 2014 10:53 am

    So has PES has been reaping profits from customers within the current Century gas franchise area?
    Profits that should have been going to the City of Century?

  3. Robert S. on June 5th, 2014 7:27 am

    Feed them and they will come.
    Sounds like a great idea for a community Meat-ing.
    Guess this will show whether Pensacola Energy or Century Gas is blowing the most smoke.
    Will they be using the advertised and highly contested natural gas or propane for the BBQ.?
    Foolishness aside, Pensacola Energy was / is just flat out WRONG to threaten cutting services to anyone especially the schools where innocent students attend.

  4. just saying on June 5th, 2014 6:35 am

    Start offering fee gas hot water heaters or an oven to new customers and they will sign up in droves. My property is 100 feet from the end of the line I would love to have natural gas. But alas the gas company won’t run the line. I even offered to pay for the line.