MARCH 2024  7 
the installation of 30 miles of natural 
gas infrastructure connecting from 
nearby St. Anne to Hopkins Park 
and Pembroke Township, residents 
can now choose natural gas for their 
heating needs. As of now, over 200 
residents have signed up for this 
service.
Smart Neighborhood™
In collaboration with Nicor Gas, Fox 
Valley Habitat for Humanity broke 
ground on a subdivision com­
prised of 17 energy-efficient homes 
in Aurora, Illinois. The primary 
objective is to establish the state’s 
inaugural net-zero, carbon-neutral 
and affordable neighborhood. Each 
technologically advanced home will 
feature natural gas service, comple­
mented by rooftop solar installations, 
high efficiency building envelopes 
and in-home battery energy storage 
systems. Additionally, SMART panels 
will monitor energy consumption, 
while insulated concrete form walls 
enhance insulation. This Aurora 
neighborhood is one of two upcom­
ing Smart Neighborhoods™ spear­
headed by Habitat for Humanity and 
Nicor Gas, with the second one slated 
to begin construction in Northern 
Fox Valley later in 2024.
Midwest Alliance for Clean 
Hydrogen
Nicor Gas is actively involved in the 
Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydro­
gen, known as MachH2, which has 
been chosen by the U.S. Department 
of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy 
Demonstrations to establish a region­
al clean hydrogen production and 
distribution hub, known as H2Hub. 
This initiative is being funded 
through the Infrastructure Invest­
ment and Jobs Act.
	
H2Hubs are set to accelerate the 
widespread implementation of clean 
hydrogen on a commercial scale, fa­
cilitating the generation of clean and 
dispatchable power and introducing 
a new form of energy storage, among 
other benefits.
	
Recognizing the pivotal role of 
natural gas and its associated infra­
structure in shaping a clean energy 
future, Nicor Gas is committed to 
exploring how we can leverage our 
expertise in safe and reliable natural 
gas delivery to support the distribu­
tion of clean hydrogen from local 
producers to industrial end-users.
munities Across Illinois
This AI-generated image shows what a clean hydrogen production and distribution hub might look like.
H2Hubs are set to 
accelerate the widespread 
implementation of clean 
hydrogen on a commer­
cial scale, facilitating the 
generation of clean and 
dispatchable power and 
introducing a new form 
of energy storage, among 
other benefits.

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