Will County says RNG plant production rebounded; February gross revenue topped $1.1 million

Will County finance committee members heard a presentation on the renewable natural gas facility at the county-owned Prairie View landfill, where staff said production and revenue rebounded in February after a year of mechanical problems and a temporary reduction in well-field fuel.

The county’s RNG presenter, identified in the meeting as Greg (staff member), said the plant produced about 68,600 MMBtus in February and estimated gross revenue of roughly $1.1 million for the month. “About $580,000 of sales came from our initial gas sales and then RIN generation afterwards was at $549,000,” Greg told the committee.

The presentation framed February as one of the plant’s better months and described several causes for 2024’s lower annual production: undersized compressor coolers that were replaced under warranty in April 2024; a summer construction project at the landfill that required taking roughly 15–20 gas wells offline for an extended period; a 10-day shutdown of the Midwestern pipeline the county’s line feeds into for hydrostatic testing; several high-voltage feed-compressor motor failures; and a previously unobserved silica-media problem that caused valve failures and diverted 5–10% of processed gas to the flare.

Greg said the cooler replacements, completion of the well-field construction and a valve repair have improved operations. The county also increased its inventory of spare parts after long lead times of eight to 12 months made repairs slow during the plant’s first two operating years. The presenter said winterization upgrades and heat tracing installed before the February cold spell allowed the plant to run “flawlessly” during consecutive subzero days.

The presenter summarized 2024 finances: total expenses for the plant were about $11,500,000, which included approximately $4,600,000 in debt service and about $6,900,000 in operating expenses. Total revenue for the site in 2024 was reported at $9,340,000, leaving an operating shortfall of roughly $2,100,000 for the year. Greg warned the committee that one-off capital and repair costs in 2024—such as replacement motors and other out-of-routine parts—drove much of the expense.

Committee members asked whether February’s results were likely to be sustained. Greg said the month “is where it should be” and that he expects production to increase in spring as the landfill operator installs additional gas pumps on wells; he said that would add “a few hundred CFM” but did not give a percentage increase forecast. When asked whether the plant could be net positive for the year, he said it was possible if gross revenues stay above an implied annual breakeven range (he referenced operating cost levels in the discussion) but added there are no guarantees.

The presentation included a 2024 production chart with annotated outages showing the timing of major failures, and a 2025 comparison chart that showed early 2025 production tracking ahead of 2024. The presenter closed by noting there were no major repairs planned at the time of the committee meeting and that staff would continue routine and preventive maintenance.

Committee Chair Newquist and other members thanked staff for the detailed update.