Will County approves an agreement to create long term revenue source at the county-owned Prairie View landfill

Earlier today, Will County officials and its construction trade partners signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the $45 million renewable natural gas (RNG) plant approved for construction at the county-owned Prairie View landfill. The agreement, signed by Will County, Harbour Contractors, Will & Grundy Counties Building Trades Council and Three Rivers Construction Alliance, paves the way for hiring local, skilled craftsman to work on the multi-million dollar project.

“By bringing together labor and business in this way, we are taking steps to help control costs, ensure quality work is being done by a local workforce and make certain the project gets done on time,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant.

In an effort to expand competitive energy options for its residents, Will County officials approved the construction of a renewable natural gas (RNG) plant at the county-owned Prairie View landfill, with the intention of injecting the biogas into a nearby natural gas pipeline grid for use as a transportation fuel.

The plant will not only mitigate methane emissions going into the atmosphere, but it presents an opportunity for the County to generate millions in revenue annually. As part of the agreement, the county will sell renewable compressed natural gas (RCNG), a much cleaner burning fuel that can replace diesel fuel in vehicles.

“Will County is committed to protecting our environment while providing cost-effective energy solutions for our residents,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “
An additional benefit of this agreement is the sale of the natural gas will generate a revenue stream to fund important county services for our residents with any reliance on property taxes.”

The County will produce an estimated 7.7 million diesel gallon equivalents (DGE) of renewable fuel annually based on projections and can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 60,000 metric tons annually.

In 2010, the county began an agreement with Waste Management to convert a portion of the methane gas created from decomposing the landfill to power a 4.8 megawatt Gas to Electricity (GTE) plant. This electricity is then sold on the local market to residents and businesses. Currently the county receives $450,000 annually from the sale of this methane gas which helps fund county operations.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the county to fully realize the economic benefits of this landfill,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “The cost for providing necessary services to our residents continues to rise and it is up to all of us as elected officials to find alternate revenue sources and not place additional burdens on our taxpayers. This new plant satisfies the county’s commitment to protecting our resources and maintaining the quality services our residents and business owners need and expect.”

Photo Id’s (from left to right): Will County Board Member Herb Brooks (D-Joliet), Land Use Department Director David Dubois, County Board Majority Leader Meta Mueller (D-Aurora), Will-Grundy Building Trades Council President Doc Gregory, County Board Minority Leader Mike Fricilone (R-Homer Glen), County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Resource Recovery& Energy Director Dean Olson, Director of Facilities and Capital Programming Dave Tkac, County Board Member Rachel Ventura (D-Joliet), Jason Cox, Three Rivers Construction Alliance Chairman; Patrick Harbour, Jr. and Chris Kozak, from Harbour Contractors; County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan (D-Naperville).

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Tags: Resource Recovery and Energy Will County Board Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant green energy rng plant renewable natural gas union labor

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wc to build rng plant 2-10-21(.pdf, 893.96 KB) - 213 download(s)