Will Winnebago County provide sewer to Belvidere battery plant?

LOCAL

A $32M sewer expansion needed for Belvidere battery plant

Jeff Kolkey

Rockford Register Star

Stellantis' estimated $4.8 billion plan to build a new vehicle at the Belvidere Assembly Plant, construct a battery production facility and establish a parts distribution "mega hub" could require what officials say is a tremendous amount of additional water, power and sewer capacity.

Precisely how much additional capacity it will need won't be known until more is known about the plan and design.

But officials say utilities would have to be extended to an area along Irene Road west of the Belvidere Assembly Plant where Stellantis has told the United Auto Workers it intends to build a $3.2 billion "joint venture" battery production facility.

Four Rivers Sanitation Authority Executive Director Tim Hanson said his office is preparing an estimated $32 million plan talked about for three decades to extend sanitary sewer lines to the area from Cherry Valley to service the Stellantis facility and any suppliers that will be needed.

"What you've got to realize is this plan has been in place for the last 30 years and it just has never materialized for that area," Hanson said. "But Irene Road when they did the intersection into that, that was to help spur that area because it's a great location for business. Now you got to put the utilities in there."

A Winnebago County-based agency that cleans 1.5 billion gallons of sewage a year, Four Rivers has the capacity needed for the project, Hanson said. It would require an agreement in which Boone County owns the pipeline and Four Rivers Sanitation manages it, Hanson said.

How the sanitary sewer pipeline — which would have a main trunk more than 3 miles long and a diameter of up to 42-inches — and an estimated $5 million lift station in Cherry Valley would be paid for remains a question.

Although Stellantis committed to the projects in its labor agreement with the UAW, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Three maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep, declined to comment on its utility needs saying the investments have not been formally announced.

Expansion of electrical capacity including the possible addition of a new substation are also thought to be needed to accommodate the new battery production facility.

ComEd spokeswoman Lauren Huffman in an email said the power company is working with Stellantis and the state to be ready for the new facility to "ensure power infrastructure is in place to serve their long-term power requirements and plans for growth."

"ComEd will continue to play an integral role in meeting the needs of companies like Stellantis who depend upon our strong power reliability and access to clean energy sources, both of which continue to make the region a compelling choice for business expansion,” Huffman said.

Gov. JB Pritzker's office did not immediately respond to an email asking for more information about utility needs for the site and what kind of public financial assistance Stellantis is seeking to cover those costs.

Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris did not return phone messages seeking comment.

Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached at  (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.

Above is from:  https://www.rrstar.com/story/news/local/2024/01/18/a-32m-plan-could-bring-sanitary-sewer-to-new-belvidere-battery-plant/72165213007/