Landfill Gas to Energy Project Makes Public Debut

“In keeping with sustainability, we have operated on the philosophy that dates back to Benjamin Franklin, who said, and I paraphrase, “a kilowatt hour saved is a kilowatt hour earned.” Mark Radtke, President, Integrys Energy Services.

Last month the Winnebago Energy Center on the campus of the Winnebago Landfill was formally introduced to the public at a press conference. Renewable energy right here in Rockford, Illinois.

Landfill gas is a natural by-product of the decomposition of municipal solid waste. It consists of methane and carbon dioxide. Currently, the landfill gas created at Winnebago Landfill is combusted with flares. However, this green power project reroutes the methane to produce electricity.

It is pretty amazing but using methane gas from Winnebago Landfill to power four Caterpillar engines to generate 6.4 MW of electricity is like:

• taking 55,855 cars off the road annually
• planting 75,636 acres of trees annually
• powering 5,000 Rockford homes annually

The project is a real team effort that began about two years ago when William Charles met with Endurant Energy to discuss possible options for using landfill gas. Those meetings led to the project that was rolled out to the public on October 16, 2007. “It was kind of like a Seinfeld episode in that one little conversation led to more and more interesting opportunities and discussions,” stated Thomas Smith, President of Endurant. “We started talking with the William Charles people and learned of the internal capabilities you bring to the table. It was a natural fit for all of us. Really the right team to do this project was in your own back yard. And here we are today.”

Ragnar Benson has principal responsibility for procurement and construction with Rockford Blacktop and Rockford Electric Power adding their expertise to the construction phases.

Integrys is the owner/operator of the facility; Cummins & Barnard is the engineer. ComEd is doing the interconnect, metering and relay protection; the Winnebago Landfill has the methane. The project is on a tight schedule with completion scheduled by the end of the year.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in this project,” added Doug Scott, Director or the IEPA and former Rockford mayor. “We hope projects like this are more common. This project also repeats a theme – when there is a need for cutting edge technology and innovation to solve a problem, William Charles is there, just like you were in 1989 during Rockford’s garbage crisis. This is a great day for Rockford and the State of Illinois.”

“If more businesses and communities would work together like this team, we would be able to really make strides,” added Charles Box, Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission and former Rockford mayor. “At the ICC we are encouraging more partnerships like this.”

“The Winnebago Energy Center pushes Illinois to the forefront of renewable energy projects. At ComEd we are committed to renewable energy and recognize all of you for taking advantage of the energy source that is here,” concluded Fidel Marquez, ComEd Corporate Vice President for External Affairs and Large Customer Service.

Mark Radtke was quoted on local TV very well, so we’ll close with this thought: “Americans are demanding solutions to air quality and global climate change.” In that spirit all partners involved in the Winnebago Energy Center are answering the call.

The Energy Center is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of many employees throughout the William Charles organization. It’s the kind of work we do best and it clearly illustrates that there is no limit to the creative and construction process when our resources are pooled. We thank everyone who worked on this project and the initiative they demonstrated. We’re tremendously proud of this latest endeavor and for the good it will do our community and the environment.

Mark Radtke was quoted on local TV very well, so we’ll close with this thought: “Americans are demanding solutions to air quality and global climate change.” In that spirit all partners involved in the Winnebago Energy Center are answering the call.

The Energy Center is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of many employees throughout the William Charles organization. It’s the kind of work we do best and it clearly illustrates that there is no limit to the creative and construction process when our resources are pooled. We thank everyone who worked on this project and the initiative they demonstrated. We’re tremendously proud of this latest endeavor and for the good it will do our community and the environment.

Nate Howard, Thomas Smith, Doug Scott, Ben Holmstrom, Gary Marzorati, Charles Box and others listen to opening comments at the press conference.

A worker installs a Caterpillar engine.

Gary Marzorati, President of William Charles Waste Companies, Charles Koontz and Mark Radtke of Integrys; Thomas Smith of Endurant; and Stan Stawasz of Integrys.

The Winnebago Energy Center is on the campus of the Winnebago Landfill.

WEC Brochure

Download the Winnebago Energy Center brochure