Nicor Gas Connects Second RNG Facility to Illinois Pipeline Network

Nicor Gas has connected its second RNG facility in Illinois, linking WM’s Orchard Hills Landfill to its pipeline system and producing enough renewable gas to power 18,000 homes.

(P&GJ) — Nicor Gas has completed its second renewable natural gas (RNG) interconnection, linking WM’s Orchard Hills Landfill facility in Davis Junction, Illinois, to its pipeline system.

The project is expected to produce about 5,709 Mcf per day, or more than 2 million dekatherms annually, enough to power roughly 18,000 homes served by Nicor Gas.

“This interconnection is a significant step in Nicor Gas and Southern Company Gas' journey toward a clean energy future for Illinois, made possible through the support and collaboration of many who share the goal of advancing economy-wide carbon reductions,” said Wendell Dallas, president and CEO of Nicor Gas. “By bringing sustainable RNG to the marketplace, we foster clean energy job growth and new revenue streams for Illinois businesses, helping our communities thrive and bettering the environment on our path to a sustainable future.”

RNG is produced by capturing and purifying biogas from organic waste sources such as landfills, wastewater, and agriculture. Instead of being released into the atmosphere or flared, the captured gas is converted into pipeline-quality fuel interchangeable with conventional natural gas.

The project is part of Nicor Gas’ Renewable Gas Interconnection Pilot Program, approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2021. It follows the utility’s first RNG interconnection in Rockford, Illinois, launched in 2024.

Nicor Gas said it will receive and retire 20,000 MMBtu annually of environmental attributes associated with the project, contributing to reductions in the company’s greenhouse gas emissions.