Exhibit 99.3

PRESS RELEASE

                   SKAINS ELECTED CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO
        EVERETT ELECTED INDEPENDENT LEAD DIRECTOR OF PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Board of Directors of Piedmont Natural Gas Company
(NYSE:PNY) has announced that Thomas E. Skains has been elected to the
additional position of Chairman of the company's Board of Directors. He was
named President and Chief Executive Officer of the company in February 2003.

In February 2002, Mr. Skains was named President and Chief Operating Officer and
was elected to the company's Board of Directors. Prior to being named President
and COO, he held the position of Senior Vice President - Marketing and Supply
Services. Prior to joining Piedmont in 1995, Mr. Skains was employed by
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation in Houston.

The company's Board also announced that Malcolm (Mac) E. Everett III has been
elected to serve as Independent Lead Director of the company. Mr. Everett is
Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate and Community Affairs of Wachovia
Corporation, and joined the Piedmont Natural Gas Board of Directors in February
2002.

As Independent Lead Director, Mr. Everett will chair the meetings of the Board
during any meetings where the Chairman is absent, and will consult with the CEO
and the Chairman of the Directors and Corporate Governance Committee on Board
management.

 "We are very pleased that Mac Everett has agreed to assume the responsibilities
of Independent Lead Director of our Board," commented company Chairman,
President and CEO Thomas E. Skains. "The creation of this new position on our
Board displays our intent to properly govern Piedmont Natural Gas with
leadership and independent oversight of our Board."

About Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas is an energy services company primarily engaged in the
distribution of natural gas to 920,000 residential, commercial and industrial
utility customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, including
57,000 customers served by municipalities who are wholesale customers. Our
subsidiaries are invested in joint venture, energy-related businesses, including
unregulated retail natural gas and propane marketing, interstate natural gas
storage, intrastate transportation and regulated natural gas distribution. More
information about Piedmont Natural Gas is available on the Internet at
www.piedmontng.com.

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