THE FOLLOWING IS AN ILLINOIS E-NEWS RELEASE Chicago, IL – Today, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) disallowed $96.99 million to Nicor Gas' rate request for its natural gas delivery services in Illinois. The decision is about 30.3 percent lower than Nicor's initial request for a $320 million increase and approves a 9.51 percent return on equity (ROE), a reduction from Nicor Gas' current 9.73 percent ROE and the company's requested 10.35 percent ROE. The ICC has issued its decision after closely scrutinizing Nicor's rate case filings and additional materials submitted by the utility, Commission staff, and various interveners over an 11-month legal proceeding. The process aims to ensure the utility receives the necessary funds to provide safe and reliable service to customers and to maintain and replace aging infrastructure at a reasonable cost to ratepayers.