Hope Gas Announces $250M Pipeline Expansion

Hope Gas is moving forward with a $250 million pipeline project that will expand access and energy reliability to manufacturing facilities in Mason County.  

Headquartered in Morgantown, and serving customers in seven states, Hope Gas will invest in and operate the pipeline to expand residential, commercial, and industrial natural gas infrastructure. 

The first phase of the investment will be the construction of a 30-mile, 24-inch natural gas pipeline. Construction on the 24-inch line is slated to begin in April 2026, with a target completion date at the end of year 2026. According to a Hope Gas press release, this is a critical piece of the announced American Intelligence & Power Corporation (AIPC) Monarch Compute Campus in Mason County.   

The pipeline project is expected to generate more than 600 construction jobs and is being funded entirely with private dollars.  

Gov. Patrick Morrisey made the announcement at the grand opening of the Edward M. Smith National Career and Life Skills Development Center. The center is a 20,000-square-foot state-of-the-art energy training facility in Clarksburg featuring heavy equipment simulators and live pipeline infrastructure.  

This infrastructure investment will directly serve economic development projects beyond the AIPC Monarch Compute Campus, including planned projects by Babcock and Wilcox. With Hope Gas involvement, the infrastructure will also be available to support residential & small business development, such as The Dickenson Properties, Max & Lucy Inc. Properties, Route 35 infrastructure expansion, Mountaineer and Hope distribution service expansion, Felman Alloys, and potentially the New Haven and Jesco development sites. 

“Companies like Hope Gas are choosing West Virginia because they see a state that is competitive, energy-dominant, and serious about growth,” Morrisey said. “With today’s announcement, we have now secured more than $10.75 billion in combined public and private investment since October. That represents more than 9,000 projected private-sector jobs, and we are just getting started.”    

Morgan O’Brien, president and CEO of Hope Gas, said “Hope Gas is proud to create the infrastructure necessary to deliver the critical energy needed to power both innovation and everyday life. Expanding natural gas infrastructure will not only support economic development across Mason County but also provide lasting value to residents and future businesses across the region.” 

Jim Rossi, chairman of the Mason County Development Authority, said, “This project will be transformative for the county. It delivers the kind of core infrastructure we need to attract investment, support new housing, and help local businesses grow. This investment by Hope Gas represents a long-term commitment to Mason County’s success. The infrastructure investment from Hope Gas and the jobs this will create will be transformative for our communities.”