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  <TITLE> Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. (Form: 8-K) </TITLE>
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  		UNITED STATES<BR>
  	SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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  	WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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  	FORM 8-K
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  	CURRENT REPORT
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  	Pursuant to Section&nbsp;13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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  	Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):
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  	&nbsp;
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  	July 13, 2006
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  	Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc.
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  <BR>__________________________________________<BR>
  	(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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  	&nbsp;
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  	North Carolina
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  	1-6196
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  	56-0556998
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  _____________________<BR>
  	(State or other jurisdiction
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  _____________<BR>
  	(Commission
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  ______________<BR>
  	(I.R.S. Employer
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  	of incorporation)
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  	File Number)
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  	Identification No.)
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  	&nbsp;&nbsp;
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  	4720 Piedmont Row Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina
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  	&nbsp;
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  	28210
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  _________________________________<BR>
  	(Address of principal executive offices)
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  	&nbsp;
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  ___________<BR>
  	(Zip Code)
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  	Registrant&#146;s telephone number, including area code:
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  	&nbsp;
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  	704-364-3120
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  	Not Applicable
  <BR>______________________________________________<BR>
  	Former name or former address, if changed since last report
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  	&nbsp;
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  <!-- CoverPageRegistrant END --><P><FONT SIZE="2">
  Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
  simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any
  of the following provisions:</FONT>
  </P>
  <P><FONT SIZE="2">
  [&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)<br>
  [&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)<br>
  [&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))<br>
  [&nbsp;&nbsp;]&nbsp;&nbsp;Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))<br>
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  <B>
  	Item 8.01 Other Events.
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  On July 13, 2006, Piedmont Natural Gas announced that it had reached a settlement in principle with the North Carolina Attorney General's office over that office's appeal of our Customer Utilization Tracker (CUT) rate mechanism which was approved and adopted as a result of the Company's 2005 rate case before the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC).  Terms of the settlement call for the Attorney General's office to drop its appeals of the CUT and for Piedmont to share with customers a portion of the margin recovered through the CUT mechanism.  The settlement period extends over a three-year period ending October 31, 2008. The settlement agreement is contingent on the dismissal of the Attorney General's appeals by the Supreme Court of North Carolina and any necessary approvals by the NCUC.  A copy of the press release is attached as an exhibit to this Form 8-K.
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  	Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
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  99.1 Press Release - Piedmont Natural Gas, North Carolina Attorney General's Office Reach Settlement On Rate Mechanism
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  	SIGNATURES
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  	Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  	registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  	undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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  	Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc.
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  	&nbsp;&nbsp;
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  <I>
  	July 13, 2006
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  	&nbsp;
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  	By:
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  	&nbsp;
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  <I>
  	/s/ Jose M. Simon
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  <BR>
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  	&nbsp;
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  <I>
  	Name: Jose M. Simon
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  	&nbsp;
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  <I>
  	Title: Vice President and Controller
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  	Exhibit&nbsp;Index
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  	Exhibit No.
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  	Description
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  	99.1
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  	&nbsp;
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  Press release - Piedmont Natural Gas, North Carolina Attorney General's Office Reach Settlement On Rate Mechanism
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metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "htm_13655.htm", "description": "LIVE FILING", "secsgml_size_bytes": 10719}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS CO INC", "cik": "0000078460", "assigned-sic": "4924", "irs-number": "560556998", "state-of-incorporation": "NC", "fiscal-year-end": "1031"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-06196", "film-number": "06961193"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1915 REXFORD RD", "city": "CHARLOTTE", "state": "NC", "zip": "28211", "phone": "7043643120"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "P.O. BOX 33068", "city": "CHARLOTTE", "state": "NC", "zip": "28233"}}
text: Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. (Form: 8-K)
  UNITED STATES
  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
  FORM 8-K
  CURRENT REPORT
  Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):
  July 13, 2006
  Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc.
  __________________________________________
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  North Carolina
  1-6196
  56-0556998
  _____________________
  (State or other jurisdiction
  _____________
  (Commission
  ______________
  (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation)
  File Number)
  Identification No.)
  4720 Piedmont Row Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina
  28210
  _________________________________
  (Address of principal executive offices)
  ___________
  (Zip Code)
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
  704-364-3120
  Not Applicable
  ______________________________________________
  Former name or former address, if changed since last report
  Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
  simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any
  of the following provisions:
  [  ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
  [  ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
  [  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
  [  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
  Top of the Form
  Item 8.01 Other Events.
  On July 13, 2006, Piedmont Natural Gas announced that it had reached a settlement in principle with the North Carolina Attorney General's office over that office's appeal of our Customer Utilization Tracker (CUT) rate mechanism which was approved and adopted as a result of the Company's 2005 rate case before the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC).  Terms of the settlement call for the Attorney General's office to drop its appeals of the CUT and for Piedmont to share with customers a portion of the margin recovered through the CUT mechanism.  The settlement period extends over a three-year period ending October 31, 2008. The settlement agreement is contingent on the dismissal of the Attorney General's appeals by the Supreme Court of North Carolina and any necessary approvals by the NCUC.  A copy of the press release is attached as an exhibit to this Form 8-K.
  Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
  99.1 Press Release - Piedmont Natural Gas, North Carolina Attorney General's Office Reach Settlement On Rate Mechanism
  Top of the Form
  SIGNATURES
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
  	registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
  	undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc.
  July 13, 2006
  By:
  /s/ Jose M. Simon
  Name: Jose M. Simon
  Title: Vice President and Controller
  Top of the Form
  Exhibit Index
  Exhibit No.
  Description
  99.1
  Press release - Piedmont Natural Gas, North Carolina Attorney General's Office Reach Settlement On Rate Mechanism