Williams' (NYSE: WMB) board of directors has approved a regular dividend of $0.56 on the company’s common stock, payable September 29 to holders of record at the close of business September 12.

The $0.56 quarterly dividend, or $2.24 on an annualized basis, is consistent with Williams’ previously announced plans to increase its third-quarter 2014 dividend by $0.135, or 32 percent, from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.425 per share. The sharp increase in the third quarter dividend resulted from the July 1 acquisition of controlling interests in Access Midstream Partners as well as the decision to accelerate a planned shift to a pure play GP holding company.

The new amount is an increase of $0.193, or 52.9 percent, from the third-quarter 2013 dividend.

In addition to the third-quarter 2014 dividend increase, Williams also is affirming dividend-growth guidance of approximately 15 percent annually – from the higher third-quarter 2014 base – through 2017 with planned dividends of approximately $1.96 in 2014, $2.46 in 2015, $2.82 in 2016, and $3.25 in 2017.

The expected quarterly increases in Williams' dividend are subject to quarterly approval of the company's board of directors.

Williams has paid a common stock dividend every quarter since 1974.

About Williams (NYSE:WMB)

Williams, headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., is one of the leading energy infrastructure companies in North America. It owns controlling interests in both Williams Partners L.P. (NYSE:WPZ) and Access Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE:ACMP) through its ownership of 100 percent of the general partner of each partnership. Additionally, Williams owns approximately 66 percent and 50 percent of the limited partner units of Williams Partners L.P. and Access Midstream Partners, L.P., respectively.

Williams Partners L.P. owns and operates both on-shore and offshore assets of approximately 15,000 miles of natural gas gathering and transmission pipelines, 1,800 miles of NGL transportation pipelines, an additional 11,000 miles of oil and gas gathering pipelines and numerous other energy infrastructure assets. The partnership's facilities have daily gas processing capacity of 6.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas, NGL production of more than 200,000 barrels per day and domestic olefins production capacity of 1.35 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of propylene per year.

Access Midstream Partners, L.P. owns, operates, develops and acquires natural gas gathering systems and other midstream energy assets. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the partnership's operations are focused on the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara and Utica Shales and the Mid-Continent region of the U.S.

For more information about Williams, Williams Partners and Access Midstream Partners, visit www.williams.com, www.williamslp.com and www.accessmidstream.com.

Portions of this document may constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined by federal law. Although the company believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Any such statements are made in reliance on the “safe harbor” protections provided under the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the company’s annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.