Residents

may have been shocked this week to learn that

Coweta-Fayette EMC's natural gas marketer, Peachtree

Natural Gas, went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

But EMC

president Michael Whiteside said his company's 22,000

customers should not worry because the gas will continue

flowing.

"Everyone

should remember that Peachtree Natural Gas's filing is a

reorganization," he added.

Peachtree

Natural Gas is currently in negotiations with a

Texas-based utility company to purchase between 75 and

100 percent of the firm.

When the

natural gas industry was deregulated late last year,

Peachtree Natural Gas moved quickly to the forefront of

the gas marketers as the choice of many municipalities

and EMCs across the state.

The company

grew from having 400 customers last year to 177,000

customers this year. Because of the rapid growth,

Whiteside said, need for additional capital grew.

Once the

reorganization plan is completed, Whiteside said he

believes the company will still provide the same customer

service that it currently does.

"We

worked hard to identify a local gas supplier who upholds

our same philosophy of customer service and reasonable

costs. Peachtree Natural Gas quickly rose to surface as

our first choice and became the choice for over 20,000 of

our members," he said.

Customers

will not notice any difference in their service or

billing while the reorganization takes place, said

Whiteside.

"We're

signing up new gas customers every day," he said.