EXHIBIT 24(a)

                            FORM OF POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned director of PIEDMONT
NATURAL GAS COMPANY, INC., a corporation organized under the laws of the State
of North Carolina, does hereby make, constitute and appoint David J. Dzuricky,
their true and lawful attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution, to (i)
execute, deliver and file, on their behalf and in their name and in their
capacity as set forth below, a Registration Statement on Form S-8 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
together with any and all exhibits thereto and any and all other documents in
support thereof or supplemental thereto, with respect to the registration of
10,000 shares of Company Common Stock each for the Salary Investment Plan and
the Payroll Investment Plan, and (ii) execute any and all applications,
registration statements, notices and other documents necessary or advisable to
comply with applicable state securities and blue sky laws and regulations, and
to file the same together with all other exhibits and documents in connection
therewith, with the appropriate state securities and blue sky authorities; and
does hereby grant to said attorney-in-fact power and authority to do and perform
each and every act and thing whatsoever as said attorney-in-fact may deem
necessary or advisable to carry out fully the intent of this instrument, to the
same extent and with the same effect as the undersigned might or could do
personally, or in their capacity as set forth below; and the undersigned does
hereby ratify and confirm all acts and things which said attorney-in-fact may do
or cause to be done by virtue of this instrument.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set their hand this
____ day of December, 2001.

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                                                           Director
STATE OF
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COUNTY OF
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         This is to certify that before me personally came _____________________
known to me to be the individual described in and who executed the foregoing
Power of Attorney, and the undersigned Notary Public duly acknowledged that this
person executed this document, this ___ day of December, 2001.


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                                                         Notary Public

My commission expires:

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