Peoples Energy
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Natural gas utility |
| Predecessor | The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company |
| Founded | 1849 in Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago, Illinois and northern suburbs |
| Products | Natural gas distribution |
Number of employees | 1,500 |
| Parent | WEC Energy Group |
Peoples Gas—an abbreviation for The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company—operates as a natural gas utility subsidiary under WEC Energy Group, providing service to Chicago, Illinois, along with its northern suburban areas.
History
Established in Chicago in 1849, Peoples Gas began by producing and distributing water gas, created through the process of passing steam over heated coke. Over time, the company expanded its operations to deliver natural gas to nearly 830,000 customers spanning residential, commercial, and industrial sectors within Chicago. The workforce comprises approximately 1,500 employees, including 850 field and support personnel responsible for maintaining roughly 4,300 miles of natural gas pipelines. These employees are represented by the Gas Workers Union, Local 18007.
In 1931, the city of Chicago was linked to Texas via a 980-mile pipeline operated by the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, a joint venture partially owned by Peoples. North Shore Natural Gas, founded in 1900, catered to around 158,000 customers across 54 communities in Chicago’s northern suburbs until its acquisition by Peoples Gas in 1963. In 1980, the company adopted the name Peoples Energy Corporation.
February 2007 marked the merger of Peoples Energy with Wisconsin Public Service Corporation from Green Bay, resulting in the creation of Integrys Energy Group. This conglomerate included subsidiaries such as Peoples Energy Resources Company, Peoples Energy Services Corporation, Peoples Energy Production Company, and Peoples District Energy Corporation—engaged in various areas like natural gas production, power generation, midstream operations, and retail energy services. Integrys also operated regulated and unregulated energy ventures across Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
In February 2008, the Illinois Commerce Commission authorized a $71 million increase in delivery rates for Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. This adjustment raised average monthly customer bills by approximately $7 or 4–5%, following an initial request of $102.5 million after a 12-year period without any rate increases.
Integrys was purchased by WEC Energy Group in 2015; however, Peoples Gas continues functioning as an independent operating entity within WEC.