ROCHELLE — Since 2011, Rochelle Energy, LLC has operated at the Rochelle Landfill and has powered homes in Rochelle Municipal Utilities’ service area. 

The power plant collects greenhouse gas from the landfill and cleans it before sending it to three large Caterpillar engines that run off methane gas and produce energy. That energy goes directly onto the City of Rochelle’s grid and can power 2,000-4,000 homes each year. 

“The two big benefits are the reduction of greenhouse gas and odors,” Archaea Energy Director of Renewable Partnerships Wes Lawrence said. “The electricity that is produced is the same as would come from any other source. It’s kind of like a circle of life. For example, sludge is taken from the wastewater treatment plant in Rochelle to the landfill and produces methane that is made into electricity to power that same wastewater treatment plant.”

The Rochelle Energy plant was sold to Archaea Energy, one of the largest renewable energy producers in the United States, in 2021. Lawrence was president of Rochelle Energy before that. 

The power plant has several employees and a group that supports them, Lawrence said. Approximately 550 plants like it exist across the U.S. at landfills that are large enough to support them. 

Producing energy isn’t the only positive of the plant.

“Having the plant there and gathering methane and sulfur makes a difference for odors in the area,” Lawrence said. “It’s not just producing energy. It’s also helping a day-to-day thing like the smell. It would be noticeably worse if the plant wasn’t there.”

Lawrence said over the years a lot of improvements have been made to take sulfur out of gas at the plant. The process involves millions of bugs eating the sulfur and their waste becomes a solid that plant employees collect. 

“It’s not great for the environment for sulfur to be put out and lowering the sulfur helps lessen the smell,” Lawrence said. 

The engines at the plant run 24 hours a day. Two of the three are running at any one time. Much like a car, they need routine oil changes and tuneups. A system at the plant tells staff exactly when an engine needs something and gives readings on the electricity being produced by them.

Each time an engine is taken out of service, the plant loses energy it could be producing. That makes maintenance a large priority for Rochelle Energy.

“If you don’t do that maintenance, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Lawrence said. “You have to keep things as consistent as you can.”

Rochelle City Manager Jeff Fiegenschuh spoke of the plant’s importance to the city and RMU’s electrical system. Rochelle Energy’s power coming directly onto the city’s grid helps reduce transmission and capacity charges for the city when it buys electricity from its main power provider.

Renewable energy sources make up six percent of the city’s total power load, which is above the state’s requirement. Rochelle Energy is a large part of that number. New state legislation passed last year involves a shift toward more green energy in the future and having sources like the landfill power plant will become more important for cities with public utilities like Rochelle. 

“I hope we are able to continue this productive partnership with ​Archaea Energy for many years to come,” Fiegenschuh said. 

A boundary agreement approved by the Village of Creston and the City of Rochelle last year included plans to close the Rochelle Landfill by the end of 2040. That will make for more power output at Rochelle Energy.

The landfill will be taking more waste as it fills up before closure. Lawrence said the plant is looking at a potential increase in energy production of approximately 30 percent by 2030 as a result. That would mean providing power to 750-1,000 additional homes on average.

“There will be a lot more dumping at the landfill in the future and as a result, there will be more gas and more energy produced by us,” Lawrence said. “But it will take a while to get to that level. It won’t be extra work for us. We have three engines and two are running at any one time. We have the capacity to increase output. The plant will continue to run after the landfill closes. For 15-20 years after it closes, that gas will still be produced.”