Nicor Gas opens first RNG interconnection with Air Liquid facility in Illinois

In Illinois, Nicor Gas celebrated the opening of its first renewable natural gas (RNG) interconnection with Air Liquide’s largest RNG facility in the world. The plant converts biogas from a nearby landfill into energy through the utility’s first-ever RNG interconnection. To mark this historic moment in Illinois’s clean energy future, the companies hosted an official ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by company leaders, local and national elected officials and community partners.

The interconnection was established under Nicor Gas’ Renewable Gas Interconnection Pilot Program approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission in 2021. This is the utility’s first-ever interconnection of a biogas upgrading plant to the Nicor Gas delivery system, which went live June 12, 2024.

Located in Rockford, Illinois, Air Liquide’s state-of-the-art plant uses biogas from the adjacent Winnebago Landfill operated by Waste Connections, Inc. to create RNG. The plant is projected to produce approximately 1.3 million Metric Million British thermal units (MMBtu) per year, which is the estimated equivalent to replacing natural gas with RNG in 12,000 homes annually.