EXHIBIT 10-A-45

                                                  SERVICE AGREEMENT NO.  49526

                                                 CONTROL NO. 1995-04-30 - 0084


                      SST SERVICE AGREEMENT



THIS  AGREEMENT,  made and entered  into this 7th day of  November, 1995 by and
between:


     COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
     ("SELLER")
     AND
     PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED
     ("BUYER")



WITNESSETH:  That in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, the
parties hereto agree as follows:

Section 1. Service to be Rendered.  Seller shall perform and Buyer shall receive
service in accordance with the provisions of the effective SST Rate Schedule and
applicable  General Terms and  Conditions  of Seller's  FERC Gas Tariff,  Second
Revised  Volume  No. 1  (Tariff),  on file with the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory
Commission (Commission),  as the same may be amended or superseded in accordance
with the rules and  regulations  of the  Commission.  The maximum  obligation of
Seller to deliver gas hereunder to or for Buyer,  the  designation of the points
of delivery at which Seller shall deliver or cause gas to be delivered to or for
Buyer, and the points of receipt at which Buyer shall deliver or cause gas to be
delivered,  are  specified in Appendix A as the same may be amended from time to
time by agreement  between Buyer and Seller, or in accordance with the rules and
regulations of the Commission.  Service  hereunder shall be provided  subject to
the  provisions  of Part 284.223 of Subpart G of the  Commission's  regulations.
Buyer warrants that service hereunder is being provided on behalf of BUYER.


Section 2. Term. Service under this Agreement shall commence as of NOVEMBER 01 ,
1999 , or upon  completion  of facilities  and shall  continue in full force and
effect  until  OCTOBER  31 , 2014 , and from  YEAR  -to-YEAR  thereafter  unless
terminated  by either party upon 2 YEARS'  written  notice to the other prior to
the end of the initial term granted or any  anniversary  date  thereafter.  Pre-
granted  abandonment shall apply upon termination of this Agreement,  subject to
any right of first refusal Buyer may have under the Commission's regulations and
Seller's Tariff.


Section 3. Rates.  Buyer shall pay Seller the charges and furnish  Retainage  as
described in the above-referenced  Rate Schedule,  unless otherwise agreed to by
the parties in writing and specified as an amendment to this Service Agreement.


Section 4. Notices.  Notices to Seller under this Agreement shall be addressed
to it at Post Office Box 1273, Charleston, West Virginia 25325-1273, Attention:
Manager - Agreements Administration and notices to Buyer shall be addressed to
it at:
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED
P 0 BOX 1398
400 COX ROAD
GASTONIA, NC  28053-1398


       ATTN: DANNY SMITH;
until changed by either party by written notice.














                                                  SERVICE AGREEMENT NO. 49526
                                                  CONTROL NO. 1995-04-30 - 0084




                          SST SERVICE AGREEMENT






Section 5. Superseded Agreements. This Service Agreement supersedes and cancels,
as of the effective date hereof, the following Service Agreements: N /A.



          PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED

By:       Franklin H. Yoho

Name:     /s/ Franklin H. Yoho

Title:    Senior Vice President-Marketing & Gas Supply

Date:     10/31/95


          COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION

By:       /s/ Stephen M. Warnick

Name:     Stephen M. Warnick

Title:    Vice President

Date:     November 7, 1995
























                                                    Revision No.
                                                    Control No. 1995-04-30-0084


                 Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 49526
                            Under Rate Schedule SST

Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
    and (Buyer) PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED


     October through March Transportation Demand        11,779 Dth/day

     April through September Transportation Demand       5,889 Dth/day





                            Primary Receipt Points
                            ----------------------


     Scheduling            Scheduling                      Maximum Daily
     Point No.             Point Name                    Quantity (Dth/Day)
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------

     STOW                  STORAGE WITHDRAWALS                 11,779







































                                                                    Revision No.
                                                    Control No. 1995-04-30-0084



              Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 49526
                        Under Rate Schedule SST


Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
   and (Buyer) PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED




                                                Primary Delivery Points
                                                -----------------------
                                                                                     

Scheduling      Scheduling           Measuring           Measuring        Maximum Daily             Maximum
Point No.       Point Name           Point No.           Point Name       Delivery Obligation       $ 1 Delivery
                                                                          (Dth/Day)                 Pressure
                                                                                                    Obligation
                                                                                                    (PSIG)



833097        TRC Boswells            833097            TRC Boswells          11,779                 750
                Tavern                                    Tavern














































                                                   Revision No.
                                                   Control No.  1995-04-30-0084



              Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 49526
                       Under Rate Schedule SST

Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
   and (Buyer) PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED


S1            / IF A MAXIMUM PRESSURE IS NOT SPECIFICALLY  STATED, THEN SELLER'S
              OBLIGATION SHALL BE AS STATED IN SECTION 13 (DELIVERY PRESSURE) OF
              THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

GFNT/         THIS SERVICE AGREEMENT AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS ARE SUBJECT TO
              PRECEDENT AGREEMENT NO. 47810 BETWEEN BUYER AND SELLER DATED
              JUNE 27, 1995.

              UNLESS  STATION  SPECIFIC  MDOS ARE  SPECIFIED IN A SEPARATE  FIRM
              SERVICE  AGREEMENT  BETWEEN SELLER AND BUYER,  SELLER'S  AGGREGATE
              MAXIMUM  DAILY  DELIVERY  OBLIGATION,  UNDER  THIS  AND ANY  OTHER
              SERVICE  AGREEMENT  BETWEEN  SELLER AND BUYER,  AT THE  STATION(S)
              LISTED ABOVE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE MDDO  QUANTITIES SET FORTH ABOVE
              FOR EACH STATION.  ANY STATION  SPECIFIC  MDDOS IN A SEPARATE FIRM
              SERVICE  AGREEMENT  BETWEEN  SELLER AND BUYER SHALL BE ADDITIVE TO
              THE INDIVIDUAL STATION MDDOS SET FORTH ABOVE.












































                                                    Revision No.
                                                    Control No. 1995-04-30-0084

                Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 49526
                            Under Rate Schedule SST
Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
   and (Buyer) PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED





The Master  List of  Interconnects  (MLI) as defined in Section 1 of the General
Terms and Conditions of Seller's tariff is incorporated herein for reference for
the purposes of listing valid secondary receipt and delivery points.


Service  changes  pursuant  to this  Appendix  A shall  become  effective  as of
NOVEMBER 01, 1999,  or upon  completion  of  facilities.  This  Appendix A shall
cancel  and  supersede  the  previous  Appendix A  effective  as of N/A , to the
Service  Agreement  referenced above. With the exception of this Appendix A, all
other terms and conditions of said Service  Agreement shall remain in full force
and effect.


              PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NORTH CAROLINA INCORPORATED

By:           Franklin H. Yoho

Name:         /s/ Franklin H. Yoho

Title:        Senior Vice President-Marketing & Gas Supply

Date:         10/31/95


              COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION

By:           /s/ Stephen M. Warnick

Name:         Stephen M. Warnick

Title:        Vice President

Date:         November 7, 1995