Illinois utility to test RNG
Illinois energy company Nicor Gas said July 19 it had secured approval from state regulators to run a pilot program for renewable natural gas (RNG).
The Illinois Commerce Commission signed off on the company’s pilot program in early July. The company aims to see how RNG can be incorporated into its gas distribution systems.
|
Advertisement: The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) NGC’s HSSE strategy is reflective and supportive of the organisational vision to become a leader in the global energy business. |
“As a part of the pilot, Nicor Gas will enable the interconnection of new RNG facilities, which create a pathway for lower carbon fuels to be available to customers by displacing traditional, geologic natural gas,” the company said. Nicor Gas committed $16mn to the pilot project.
Renewable natural gas (RNG) is sourced from the decomposition of organic waste, usually in the form of methane emitted from landfills.
A handful of energy companies in the region are looking to RNG as an element of the energy transition. Archaea Energy in May started up an RNG facility in Kentucky that uses landfill gas. The company said, however, that previous efforts to use the gas emitted from the decomposition of landfill material were unable to produce pipeline-quality RNG unless it was blended with significant amounts of conventional natural gas.
Nicor Gas coverage includes most of the northern third of Illinois, not counting the city of Chicago. It serves more than 2.2mn customers.