Kankakee hydro plant commissioning delayed after vendor finds electrical issues; river levels stall pump work

An inspection of Kankakee’s hydroelectric equipment found issues in medium- and high-voltage components that must be repaired before the city can energize switchgear and complete final commissioning, staff told the Environmental Services Utility Board on June 15.

Zach, who presented the hydro update to the board, said contractor Shrimco inspected transformers, panels and racks and "did find a few issues ... on some of the panels, main panel and generator panel. Those are things that we're going to have to get fixed. I'm waiting for a proposal on that. And so until that gets fixed, it's not safe to energize the switch gear." He said the city also must install a river pump, but high river levels are preventing safe access by crews.

Why it matters: together the electrical repairs and the need to wait for lower river levels push back the final commissioning timeline. Staff also said the public comment period for the city's application for a 40-year operating license closed with no public comments; the ESU has applied for state water-quality certification and will await regulator requests or studies before proceeding.

Staff described an additional, precautionary step taken this week: crews released a buoy line that had accumulated debris and risked damage; the line will be reinstalled when river conditions allow. The board was told staff expect to receive proposals for the electrical repairs and will schedule the remaining commissioning steps once river and regulatory conditions permit.

Board action and next steps: staff will present repair proposals and regulatory updates when available. No formal action or vote was taken on the hydro project at the June 15 meeting.