Nicor Gas Company (aka Northern Illinois Gas) heats the hearths of the Heartland. The gas utility, a subsidiary of national gas services giant AGL Resources, has more than 34,000 miles of mains and service pipes that distribute natural gas to about 2.2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. Nicor Gas operates the Chicago Hub, which provides natural gas storage and transmission-related services to marketers and other companies. The company is the largest natural gas distributor in northern Illinois. It serves 646 communities in more than 35 counties.