The Will County Board approved an agreement with Waste Management to build a renewable natural gas (RNG) plant at the county-owned Prairie View landfill. In 2010, the county began an agreement with Waste Management to convert a portion of the methane gas created from decomposing the landfill to power a 4.8 megawatt Gas to Electricity (GTE) plant. This electricity is then sold on the local market to residents and businesses. Currently the county receives $450,000 annually from the sale of this methane gas which helps fund county operations.

The new agreement will allow for the sale of all the methane gas. After an initial investment of an estimated $46 million to build the RNG plant and pipeline, the county could receive $12 – $20 million annually, based upon market prices, in non-taxpayer revenue for more than 25 years. It is estimated that the RNG Plant and pipeline will cost several million dollars to operate.