The Lake Apopka Natural Gas District (LANGD) has completed seven of its eight pipeline projects and they are operating as intended, including many in Apopka neighborhoods, according to information presented at the district’s regular board meeting Monday.  

All eight projects are to address natural gas distribution pipelines in several neighborhoods, including those in Apopka. Project eight, which is Fullers Cross Road located between Winter Garden and Ocoee, began construction on Nov. 12 with an anticipated wrap-up by the first quarter of 2026.  

The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is funding all of LANGD’s eight pipeline projects through the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program. 

NGDISM aims to increase public safety, preserve public health and cut down methane emissions from natural gas distribution equipment, per a past LANGD press release.   

LANGD is currently working on its fiscal year 2025 PHMSA NGDIS grant application requesting $14 million. Its status update has been delayed due to the federal government shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12 because Congress failed to pass appropriations legislations for the 2026 fiscal year, Brent Haywood, LANGD CEO/general manager told the board Monday at the district’s Winter Garden office. 

“Obviously, with the government shutdown, [there are] a lot of things that stand still,” he said.  

In two years, PHMSA bestowed grant money twice to the district for the reconstruction, overhaul, and/or substitution of natural gas distribution pipeline systems.   

In May 2023, PHMSA gave the gas district $3.1 million in initial funding. In November 2024, PHMSA gave the gas district a second check for $132,470.80.   

Customer increase 

From October 2024 to October 2025, LANG is almost 1,400 customers “to the positive,” Haywood said. Previously, LANGD was predicting between 1,000 and 1,200 customers.  

“We feel like that’s just showing the positive impact that natural gas has had in this past year,” Haywood said.  

In May, LANGD announced it reached its 30,000-customer milestone in its 65th year of existence, reflecting a 15-year growth.  

Scholarships and internships 

The LANGD has been promoting its scholarship and internship programs for local schools, including Wekiva High School, thus encouraging students to pursue a trade school.  

LANGD has met with West Orange and Ocoee high school staffs, with positive results.  

“The reception has been off the charts. All of the staff there at schools are so excited about us recognizing the fact that skilled trades are an important thing and that we’re not pushing necessarily the college route,” Haywood said. “I think Ocoee and a couple other schools are really looking at making harder pushes towards skilled trade as well.” 

LANGD also met with Wekiva High School and Acceleration Academy West about the scholarship and internship programs. These schools were also well receptive, due to understanding the scholarships’ purposes, not just that LANGD announced the resources.  

Haywood credits LANGD’s public relations team, LANGD staff and himself for communicating skills trades are “the next generation of generational wealth.”  

“You’re going to make money based on what you can do with your hands, and not necessarily just what you can do with your mind,” Haywood said. “We’ve spent a whole generation teaching people that your mind is the most powerful tool, and now that we’ve got AI, it’s really the hands that are going to be the most powerful tool.”