Waste Management, Will County Open Illinois LFGE Plant

Waste Management Inc. and Illinois’ Will County have opened a landfill gas-to-energy facility in Joliet.

The facility will use landfill gas generated from the county’s Prairie View Recycling and Disposal Facility. Waste Management owns the new energy plant, which covers nearly 7,000 square feet and will generate 4.8 megawatts of power at startup. The facility will increase its power output in future years, officials said in a news release.

The energy from the facility is expected to power nearly 4,000 homes. The county expects revenue of more than $1 million a year. “This revenue stream will grow as the landfill grows, which will benefit the residents of Will County,” said county Executive Larry Walsh.

Waste Management contributed $6 million to develop the project, and the county received a $3.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The new facility is equipped with three 20-cylinder, 2,233-horsepower Caterpillar engines, and a fourth will be added next year.

“Our partnership with Will County enables us to recover a renewable source of energy and channel it back to the community in the form of electricity,” said Steve Batchelor, Illinois-Indiana market area vice president.

Walsh added, “We are fortunate to partner with an organization such as Waste Management who is well experienced in the field of alternative energy.”