Dover-based Chesapeake Utilities Corporation announced that its propane subsidiary, Sharp Energy, acquired the propane operating assets of Diversified Energy Company. The acquisition expands Sharp’s footprint into North Carolina and South Carolina.
“Sharp Energy has driven significant growth for Chesapeake Utilities as a market leader in residential, commercial, wholesale and AutoGas propane services. Propane remains a core part of our unregulated energy operations given its high demand, especially in more rural areas where natural gas pipelines cannot or have not yet reached,” said Jeff Householder, CEO of Chesapeake Utilities. “The addition of Diversified Energy’s propane business expands Sharp’s footprint into the Carolinas, adding to our growing presence along the East Coast. We are pleased to welcome our new employees to the Chesapeake Utilities family and are committed to serving Sharp’s new customers with a continued commitment to excellence, integrity and care.”
“We believe the two organizations align culturally, and we are excited to integrate the Diversified Energy business into Sharp Energy,” said Andy Hesson, vice president of Sharp Energy. “With this transaction, our propane business will add approximately 19,000 residential, commercial and agricultural customers, along with distribution of approximately 10 million gallons of propane annually.”
Sharp often operates around Chesapeake’s natural gas footprint. A more recent acquisition of Boulden’s propane business in northern Delaware and areas of Maryland and Pennsylvania came as Chesapeake acquired Elkton Gas. The company is now moving outside its gas territory that includes Delmarva and a portion of Florida.
The deal is expected to be accretive to Chesapeake Utilities’ 2022 earnings, adding approximately $11.3 million in gross margin for 2022.
Sharp Energy, headquartered in Georgetown distributes propane to residential, commercial and industrial customers in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Sharp has multiple rail facilities and several million of gallons of propane storage, Further information is available at www.sharpenergy.com.
