Nicor Gas Storage System Helps Keep Heat On During Severe Winter Storm (Naperville, IL) – As subzero temperatures and dangerous wind chills swept across Northern Illinois during Winter Storm Fern, Nicor Gas relied heavily on its underground natural gas storage system to maintain reliable service for millions of customers, company officials said.
During the peak hour of the Arctic blast on the morning of Jan. 23, Nicor Gas delivered more than 194,000 MMBtu of natural gas to approximately 2.3 million customers across more than 650 communities. Company officials said no weather-related outages were reported despite sustained extreme conditions.
Nicor Gas employees worked around the clock during the seven-day weather event to monitor pipelines, manage storage operations and respond to customer needs. More than 100 employees supported storage operations, working extended shifts before, during and after the period of highest demand. The company’s customer contact center handled more than 21,400 calls during the storm.
“The safety and reliability of our system depend on the dedication of our employees, who plan and prepare for extreme weather all year long,” said Joe Deters, Nicor Gas’ director of storage and peaking.
Over the seven-day cold snap, Nicor Gas delivered more than 25 billion cubic feet of natural gas, with approximately 43% of that supply coming from underground storage. Company officials said storage plays a critical role in maintaining reliability and affordability during peak demand, allowing the utility to avoid purchasing large volumes of higher-priced natural gas on the spot market.
Because Nicor Gas purchases gas during lower-demand summer months and stores it for winter use, the company estimates customers saved more than $170 million during the storm compared with prevailing market prices.
“Nicor Gas’ ability to safely and reliably deliver the life-sustaining energy our customers and communities rely on is critical to Illinois’ energy security,” said Tim Hermann, vice president of gas operations.
Company officials said long-term planning and infrastructure investment have strengthened system resilience. From 2015 through 2024, Nicor Gas invested more than $3 billion in modernization projects, including pipeline replacement, storage system upgrades and pressure-regulating station improvements.
As winter weather continues, Nicor Gas said it remains committed to providing reliable service while offering customers assistance programs and energy-efficiency resources to help manage heating costs.
Nicor Gas Storage System Helps Keep Heat On During Severe Winter Storm
