The history of Colorado Natural Gas (ANG) is a captivating one, stretching back to 1869. It began with the formation of the Denver Gas & Electric Light Company, which was established by Henry Doherty in August 1910. This company was later sold to other companies, and with these acquisitions, ANG's pipeline system in Colorado was extended to 1,350 miles. In April 1880, businessmen presented the newly invented arc light to an enthusiastic Denver audience. This led to the formation of the Colorado Electric Company, which won the city's street lighting contract. However, they soon encountered fierce competition from a variety of new electric companies that were being created to serve Denver's growing population.
Finally, on April 26, 1899, the gas and electric companies united as the Denver Gas and Electric Company. Doherty was responsible for much of the growth of the Denver Gas and Electric Company and its subsequent entities, including the Colorado Public Utilities Company. By 1976, the company represented a combination of more than 80 gas and electricity companies that date back to 1869 in the gas sector and to 1881 in the electricity sector. The company constructed the Gas and Electricity Company building (buildings G and E) and the central office building (HOB) at 550 15th Street to house its corporate offices. They also built a plant with a daily capacity of 10 million cubic feet, which was part of an 18-mile-long system connected to 22 natural gas wells. Changes in natural gas industry regulations made it easier for companies to access interstate gas pipelines to transport natural gas owned by others. This enabled ANG to become one of the largest independent natural gas companies in the United States.
Nowadays, Colorado Natural Gas offers rebates for homes and businesses that can save you hundreds of dollars in the costs of upgrading your old heating equipment. They also received the Edison Electric award for successfully dismantling their unique high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) in 1997.
