Committee Approves $740,000 Compressor to Boost RNG Plant Uptime

Will County Landfill Committee Meeting | February 10, 2026

Article Summary: The Landfill Committee approved the purchase of a fourth feed compressor for the Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility to address equipment failures that cause 35% of the plant’s downtime. While the facility reported record production in late 2025, financial reports indicate the plant is still operating at a net loss when debt service is included.

RNG Facility Key Points:

• $740,000 Investment: The committee approved the purchase of a fourth compressor, which has a 36-to-40-week delivery lead time.

• Operational Record: The plant achieved a record production month in November 2025 with nearly 74,000 MMBtu and 97% uptime.

• Financial Status: While the plant generated $4 million in net operations income for FY2025, debt service costs of $4.6 million pushed the final balance to a loss of approximately $609,860.

• Future Costs: Installation of the new compressor is expected to cost an additional $1 million, which will be budgeted for Fiscal Year 2027.

The Will County Landfill Committee on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, unanimously approved the $740,000 purchase of a fourth feed compressor for the county’s Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) facility, a move designed to stabilize revenue and reduce downtime.

Dave Hartke, Director of the Resource Recovery & Energy Division, told the committee that 35% of the facility’s downtime is attributed to issues with the existing three feed compressors. The plant was originally designed to house four units, but the fourth was cut from the original construction budget due to cost overruns.

“If we had that fourth compressor there, it would increase our uptime and therefore increase our revenue generated for the year,” Hartke said.

The purchase will be funded using approximately $500,000 from the building expense account and funds from the machinery account. Hartke noted that the equipment has a lead time of nearly 10 months, placing delivery in October or November. The installation, including electrical work and plumbing, is estimated to cost an additional $1 million. Hartke stated this installation cost would be included in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request.

“By purchasing the compressor now, budgeting for 2027 the install… it’s not a big headache,” Committee Chair Daniel Butler (R-Frankfort) said.

The committee also reviewed the Fiscal Year 2025 operational report presented by RNG Project Manager Greg Komperda. The facility has seen steady improvement, with uptime averages increasing from 82.3% in 2023 to 90% in 2025. November 2025 marked a high point for the facility, producing nearly 74,000 MMBtu of gas.

However, the financial report highlighted the burden of the facility’s construction debt. For FY2025 (as of November 30), the plant reported total revenues of $11.29 million against operating expenses of $7.28 million, resulting in a net operations income of just over $4 million. However, after accounting for $4.6 million in debt service payments, the facility ended the fiscal year with a net loss of $609,860.

Hartke warned that purchasing the compressor now leaves the division with a slim emergency cushion of approximately $130,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year. He indicated he may approach the Finance Committee in March to transfer $100,000 from the contingency fund to bolster the equipment account.

“It removes some cushion for us if there’s something else that catastrophically fails,” Hartke said.