Latest news with #NicorGas
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
First home going up at Aurora's new ‘smart neighborhood'
The foundation has been laid and the walls are going up for the very first home in Aurora's new 'smart neighborhood,' part of a partnership between Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity that looks to build a net-zero emission, affordable community. Habitat Green Freedom, located near the intersection of Jericho Road and Edgelawn Drive, will eventually hold 17 homes designed with energy efficiency, green energy and resiliency in mind. Construction began this week on the neighborhood's show home, which is set to be complete by mid-October, and five other houses are expected to be built by December. 'This is a project that we've been dreaming about and working on for many, many years, and today it finally becomes a reality,' Barb Beckman, executive director of the Northern Fox Valley's Habitat for Humanity, said at a construction kick-off event on Tuesday morning. The neighborhood's homes are expected to be affordable not only because of Habitat for Humanity's special mortgages but also because of technology incorporated into the houses themselves, which should lower homeowners' utility bills. Some of that technology includes rooftop solar panels, batteries to store energy from the solar panels, smart thermostats and energy-efficient appliances. Plus, the houses are being built in ways that will make them more energy-efficient. One of those building techniques was showcased at Tuesday's kick-off event: foam blocks connected by plastic webs that fit together sort of like LEGO bricks. The modular foam pieces, made by BuildBlock Building Systems, are interlaced with rebar as they build up the walls of the structure. The blocks are then used as a mold for concrete, giving the building technique the name 'insulating concrete form.' Micah Garrett, CEO of BuildBlock, said the insulating concrete form walls will make the houses both disaster resilient and energy efficient, helping to lower utility costs by 30% to 40%. The blocks also make construction faster, as they account for what would normally be multiple steps in the building process while only weighing seven or eight pounds. In fact, the blocks were so easy to use that government and company officials who attended the kick-off event helped to build up one of the house's walls after only a short lesson from Garrett. The goal of the energy-efficient building techniques and integrated technology is to make the homes 'net-zero,' meaning that they produce as much energy as they take to power, heat and cool, according to a fact sheet distributed at the event. The homes are also 'dual-fuel,' using both electricity and natural gas, which the fact sheet said can be more cost-effective and comfortable in a cold climate like Illinois. Specifically, natural gas is expected to power the homes' heating and water heating systems, said a different fact sheet also distributed at the event. It is because of Nicor Gas' support that Habitat for Humanity can built 'not just houses, but affordable and resilient homes that will be strong foundations for Habitat families,' Beckman said. Habitat brings expertise in housing development, she said. while Nicor brings to the project expertise in energy and innovation. Wendell Dallas, president and CEO of Nicor Gas, said it is a privilege to serve the families that will one day be living in the neighborhood. 'I've had the wonderful privilege of working with the team over these past few years, and now seeing this come up out of the ground to actually become a reality is just an amazing, wonderful, incredible achievement,' Dallas said. Nicor is doing what few companies these days are doing: looking to the future rather than just short-term profits, according to U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, who helped secure $1.25 million in federal funding for the project. Plus, he said Habitat for Humanity is an important part of the solution to the affordable housing crisis in America. Aurora Mayor John Laesch, who said he also supported the project when he was an alderman, is looking forward to when the project is complete and to see 'all the geeky numbers' like how much energy will be saved. As a green builder himself, Laesch is working to make his 120-year-old home more energy-efficient, but if he had to build new, 'this is exactly what I'd be doing,' he said. 'This is the future, and it's exciting that all these partners have come together to make this home possible,' Laesch said at the event. This first house going up on the site of the future neighborhood will be built by Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley, but the other five homes to be built this year will be done through a Habitat-organized 'Home Builders Blitz' that will bring in volunteer builders and tradespeople to get the job done in a shorter timeline. All of the homes in Habitat Green Freedom will go to those in Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley's home ownership program, which can be applied for at According to the website, applicants are selected for the program based on their level of housing need, willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-profit, no-interest loan. Nicor Gas' partnership with Habitat for Humanity is also bringing a smart neighborhood to Carpentersville, though the homes will be different. This will allow Nicor Gas to see how various building techniques and technologies impact energy use and other factors throughout the year, according to a fact sheet. Southern Company, the parent company of Nicor Gas, also has other 'smart neighborhoods' in Georgia, Alabama and soon in Mississippi, a fact sheet said, but the ones in Aurora and Carpentersville are the first to use natural gas.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Consumer advocates protest natural gas rate hike
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Consumer advocates say a proposed natural gas rate increase by Nicor Gas is 'unjust and unreasonable.' In a news release, AARP Illinois, Illinois PIRG and the Citizens Utility Board all condemned the proposed 9% increase, which would add $7.50 a month to a customer's monthly bill. Nicor, the groups claim, is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission for its fifth increase in less than 10 years. The ask would equate to an additional $308.6 million, which the groups say is the 'highest gas increase in Illinois history.' The groups allege the request is more than double what the company can justify under the law. They have uncovered more than $150 million in overcharges, including excessive executivebonuses and an exorbitant profit rate for their shareholders. The Illinois Commerce Commission will hold a public forum on Nicor Gas' request on Monday, June 9 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park & Theater, 201 W. Jefferson St., Joliet. Nicor Gas is primarily in the northern portion of the state however, it does serve a large portion of McLean Count as well as parts of Tazewell and Woodford counties. A request for comment from Nicor Gas was not immediately returned. 'Northern Illinoisans have told us that they oppose the proposed increase from Nicor,' said AlHollenbeck of AARP Illinois. 'This hike, on top of several other utility hikes in recent years, disproportionately affects older adults on fixed incomes, who are already struggling to keep up with the ever-growing cost of living in the state. They simply cannot afford higher gas bills and AARP is committed to advocating on their behalf against this proposed rate hike.' The ICC will issue a final ruling on Nicor's rate-hike request in November. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
03-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Parents say gas leak killed toddler, IL cops say, Now they're accused of murder
A 2-year-old girl was lying unresponsive on an ottoman as her dad performed chest compressions in an attempt to revive her, Illinois deputies said. She was taken to the hospital on Nov. 6 and died in the early hours of Nov. 7, the Will County Sheriff's Office said in a June 2 news release. Her 49-year-old father and 28-year-old mother said her death was caused by a gas leak in the home, officials said. However, Homer Township Fire and Nicor Gas found that there was no leak in the Homer Glen home, deputies said. The toddler's parents were indicted on first-degree murder charges on June 2 after the toddler's autopsy results revealed new evidence, the sheriff's office said. Deputies did not disclose the toddler's cause of death. In the home where the 2-year-old and her 6-year-old sister lived, authorities found 'deplorable living conditions' during their investigation, deputies said. Xanax pills littered the bedroom floor, and approximately 9 grams of heroin were found within reach of children, according to deputies. Investigators also found soiled diapers, rotting food and medical waste. Multiple doses of used Narcan were also found near where the 2-year-old girl was discovered in the home, authorities said. The parents were taken to the sheriff's office for questioning, and their 6-year-old daughter was placed in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, deputies said. At the time, the parents were charged with felonies and released, according to officials. Following their indictment on June 2, the couple was released on pretrial conditions, according to officials. Homer Glen is about a 40-mile drive southwest from downtown Chicago.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Homer Glen couple charged with first-degree murder in connection with 2-year-old daughter's death
WILL COUNTY, Ill. — The parents of a two-year-old girl who died under suspicious circumstances inside their Will County home in 2024 have been charged with first-degree murder. Police in Will County were called to the home of 49-year-old Edward Weiher and 28-year-old Alexa Balen, located in the 2200 block of West Thorn Apple Drive, just after 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2024, on reports of an unresponsive child and a possible carbon monoxide leak. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Weiher, who owns the home, performing chest compressions on two-year-old Trinity Balen-Weiher on an ottoman in the living room. Balen and her six-year-old daughter were also inside the home. During the initial investigation, deputies say they spotted garbage, rotten food, soiled diapers and clothing, medical waste and evidence of significant drug use. Nine grams of heroin were found in the home, within reach of both children, police say. 21 Xanax pills were also on a bedroom floor and multiple doses of Narcan were located near the ottoman where the child was when police arrived. Trinity Balen-Weiher was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, where she died the next day. Homer Township Fire personnel and Nicor Gas confirmed there was no gas leak at the residence. Balen's six-year-old daughter was placed in protective custody and later released to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). According to the Will County Sheriff's Office, both Weiher and Balen made incriminating statements during interviews. They were arrested on initial felony charges and later released. However, an autopsy conducted by the Will County coroner shows new evidence that supports first-degree murder charges. Weiher and Balen appeared in court and were indicted on the new charges Monday. They have been released under pretrial conditions per the Illinois Safe-T Act. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man hospitalized after Cary home explodes; investigation underway
CARY, Ill. (WGN) – A man was injured after a home in Cary reportedly exploded Sunday afternoon. The Cary Fire Protection District said just after 1:30 p.m., crews were sent to the 6700 block of Pheasant Trail in unincorporated Cary for a reported house fire and possible explosion. When crews arrived, they found a single-family home with visible signs that it had exploded, as doors and windows had been blown of front and rear of the home. Smoke was also coming from multiple areas of the home, according to investigators. Fire erupts at Northwest Side school overnight Officials said a man, the only person inside the home at the time, was found on the ground outside the home and had significant burn injuries sustained as a result of the explosion. Due to the severity of the man's injuries, officials said a medical helicopter was requested to the scene, but no helicopters in the area were available, so an ambulance took the man to Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington for treatment. Firefighters got the fire under control just before 2:15 p.m., but the home and its contents are considered a total loss. No adjacent homes were damaged. Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines The Cary Fire Protection District, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and Nicor Gas are all investigating the cause of the explosion and fire. Officials added natural gas may have played a role. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
