Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Roanoke Gas currently holds the only franchises and CPCNs to distribute natural gas in its service area. The current franchise agreements expire December 31, 2035. The Company's CPCNs are exclusive and generally are intended for perpetual duration. 

Due to the nature of the natural gas distribution business, the Company has entered into agreements with both suppliers and pipelines for natural gas commodity purchases, storage capacity and pipeline delivery capacity. The Company utilizes an asset manager to assist in optimizing the use of its transportation, storage rights and gas supply. Roanoke Gas is currently served directly by two primary pipelines that deliver all of the natural gas supplied to the Company’s distribution system. Depending on weather conditions and the level of customer demand, failure of one of these transmission pipelines could have a major adverse impact on the Company's ability to deliver natural gas to its customers and its results of operations. The MVP will provide Roanoke Gas with access to an additional delivery source to its distribution system, increasing system reliability and the Company's ability to meet future demands for natural gas.

The outbreak of COVID-19 is having a dramatic effect on businesses and individuals throughout the nation and the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all levels of government, as well as businesses and individuals, to take actions to limit the spread of the disease. The result is a significant disruption to normal activities as businesses have either shut down or are operating on a limited basis resulting in higher unemployment and government imposed social distancing mandates. The virus and the corresponding efforts to combat its spread did not reach a level where significant disruptions in activity

occurred until mid-March 2020. The extent to which COVID-19 will affect the Company over future periods will depend on ongoing developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be reasonably predicted, including the duration of the outbreak, the easing of restrictions to businesses and individuals, the potential for a resurgence of the virus, as well as a variety of other factors. The longer COVID-19 persists, the greater the potential negative financial effect on the Company.