The Illinois Commerce Commission on June 5 approved a petition from Nicor Gas to issue and sell long-term debt with an aggregate outstanding principal amount not to exceed $75,000,000, and ordered Nicor to pay a $420,000 financing fee within 30 days of service of the order.

The vote concluded after the commission’s presiding officer asked whether there were any objections; hearing none, the order granting the petition was approved. The petition said the proposed debt would be used “for general corporate utility purposes and fund capital expenditures, which could include refinancing short-term debt.”

The decision followed public comment from two Nicor customers who urged the commission to deny rate-related requests and to make company public meetings more accessible. Lawrie Bunkers, who said she and her husband live in Oak Park and are Nicor customers of 37 years and identified herself as a member of Third Act Illinois, asked the commission to deny the request. “This latest rate hike would be Nicor’s fifth since 2017, a total rise of 161% or more than a billion dollars in 8 years,” Bunkers said. She described recent changes to her household budget plan, saying it rose “by 14%” from April to September and “in less than 2 years, it has increased 55% from $78 to $121 a month.”

Marti Cleves, who identified herself as a Nicor customer, urged the commission to require Nicor to locate one of its public meetings in downtown Chicago or to schedule an additional meeting accessible by public transit; she said a meeting scheduled in Joliet would be difficult for many Chicago-area customers to attend.

The public comments were made under the commission’s public comment rules; the presiding officer noted the commission would not respond directly to comments during the session. The proceeding that produced the debt authorization was listed on the public utilities agenda as item G‑1.

The commission also granted Chairman Scott permission to participate remotely at the start of the meeting and confirmed a quorum consisting of Commissioners McCabe, Redick and Paradis.

The commission’s order requires Nicor to pay the stated financing fee within 30 days; it did not specify any additional conditions in the transcript. The order was entered without recorded roll-call vote or a named mover and seconder in the spoken record; the chair asked for objections and, hearing none, approved the order.