RMU

What RMU does

Rochelle Municipal Utilities (RMU) is a government-owned municipal utility operated by the City of Rochelle, Illinois, providing four integrated services — electricity, water, wastewater treatment, and fiber optic internet and phone — to more than 7,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers within an exclusive municipal franchise area. The utility has operated continuously since 1896 and owns the full distribution stack: 36MW of natural-gas-fired generation across three generating stations, over 210 miles of electrical distribution lines, 105 miles of water main fed by five wells with 9.5 million gallons per day capacity, a 105-mile wastewater collection system treating an average of 2.5 million gallons per day, and a 67-mile fiber optic network offering symmetrical speeds up to 100x100 Mbps. Renewable generation is layered on top of the gas-fired fleet via a 312 kW solar photovoltaic plant at the Water Treatment Plant and a 4.8 MW landfill-gas-to-energy facility operated in partnership with Archaea Energy since December 2011, which together supply the equivalent of approximately 4,000 homes.

The technology layer includes a SCADA system for substation monitoring and control, engineered mapping updated daily, and the Rochelle Technology Center — a co-location data center in the Rochelle Business and Technology Park with dual substations, dual national grid connections, redundant distribution circuits, UPS, generator backup, and 24/7 NOC support. RMU also operates ancillary customer programs: net metering for customer-owned solar, a Summer Saver demand response program (2pm-7pm weekday peak reduction), residential energy-efficiency rebates funded partly by renewable energy credit sales, a $750-per-year utility assistance program for households at or below 200% of federal poverty, curbside recycling, and public EV charging.

RMU's business model is rate-based and subscription-recurring across all four service lines, with tiered pricing for residential, commercial, industrial, and dedicated data center / hydroponics / EV charging customer classes, plus one-time activation fees and net metering billing. As a municipal utility, RMU does not disclose revenue and is not a private investment vehicle; it is financed through customer rates, municipal budgeting, and occasional state or foundation grants (e.g., the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation 60% grant funding for the solar plant). The company is governed by the City of Rochelle, with Jeff Fiegenschuh and Sam Tesreau serving as City Managers, Mayor John Bearrows providing civic oversight, and department heads Blake Toliver (Electric), Adam Lanning (Water & Water Reclamation), and Danielle Bettner (Solar/Interconnection) running operations.

Name

RMU

Legal name

Rochelle Municipal Utilities

Website

https://rmu.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RMU is a City of Rochelle, Illinois-owned municipal utility providing electric, water, wastewater, and fiber optic internet services to 7,000+ residential, commercial, and industrial customers across an exclusive franchise area, with vertically integrated 36MW generation, renewable energy assets, and a co-location data center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Renewable Energy Asset O&M (Wind, Solar, Hydro, Geothermal) (EUAEAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maintenance & Reliability (RCM, Work Management, Spares) (EUANALAH), Operations, Maintenance & Asset Management (O&M, Vegetation, Spares, SCADA) (EUACAGAH)

Keywords

• Electric utility services
• Water treatment services
• Wastewater reclamation
• Fiber optic internet
• Municipal utilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochelle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electric Service: Electric generation and distribution services. RMU owns and operates three generating stations totaling 36MW of capacity, supplied by natural gas.
2. Water Service: Water supply from five wells with capacity of 9.5 million gallons per day. Distribution through 105 miles of water main.
3. Water Reclamation: Wastewater treatment averaging 2.5 million gallons per day with processing of approximately 5,000 tons of bio-solids annually.
4. Fiber Optic Internet & Phone: High-speed fiber optic internet and VOIP phone services for residential and business customers with plans ranging from 25Mbps to 100Mbps symmetrical.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

RMU is a municipal utility that generates and distributes electricity (36MW across three natural gas stations plus solar and bio-gas renewables), supplies potable water from five wells (9.5 MGD capacity), treats wastewater (2.5 MGD average), and provides fiber optic internet and VOIP phone services to residential, commercial, industrial, and data center customers in Rochelle, Illinois. It also operates a co-location data center (Rochelle Technology Center) and customer programs including energy efficiency incentives, demand response, and recycling services.

Product overview

Rochelle Municipal Utilities (RMU) operates as a municipal utility offering a portfolio of essential services including electric, water, water reclamation, and fiber optic internet/phone. The utility owns and operates three natural gas-powered generating stations (36MW capacity), manages solar and bio-gas renewable energy facilities, and provides a co-location data center. The product suite includes core infrastructure services (electric distribution, water supply, wastewater treatment), broadband connectivity (fiber optic internet and phone services for residential and business customers), renewable energy generation (solar plant, bio-gas plant, customer net metering), and customer programs (energy efficiency incentives, demand response programs, recycling, and financial assistance).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RMU Fiber: High-speed fiber optic internet and phone services offered by Rochelle Municipal Utilities to residential and business customers in the Rochelle area.
• Rochelle Technology Center
• Summer Saver Program

Products and services

• Electric Service Reliable electric generation and distribution service for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Rochelle area, powered by three natural gas generating stations totaling 36MW of capacity and delivered through 210+ miles of distribution lines with SCADA monitoring.
• Water Clean, treated water supply for the Rochelle community sourced from five wells with 9.5 million gallons per day capacity, supported by 2.2 million gallons of above-ground storage and distributed through 105 miles of water main.
• Water Reclamation Wastewater treatment service for the Rochelle community, treating an average of 2.5 million gallons per day and processing approximately 5,000 tons of bio-solids annually through a 105-mile collection system.
• Fiber Optic Internet & Phone High-speed broadband internet and VOIP phone services for residential and business customers in the Rochelle area delivered via fiber optic technology, with plans ranging from 25Mbps to 100Mbps symmetrical speeds.
• Solar Plant 312 kW solar photovoltaic plant with 1,240 panels producing approximately 800 kWh per day, covering about 45% of the Water Treatment Plant's summer peak energy requirements, with a 4.2-year payback period.
• Bio Gas Plant (Rochelle Energy Center) 4.8-megawatt renewable energy facility operated in partnership with Archaea Energy, using three Caterpillar G3520 reciprocating engine generator sets to meet the total electrical energy needs of approximately 4,000 homes, with elemental sulfur byproduct used as fertilizer.
• Rochelle Technology Center Co-location data center offering backup power systems, redundant connectivity, climate control, and 24/7 security monitoring, with dual substations, dual national grid connections, redundant distribution circuits, UPS, and generator backup.
• Solar Self Generation Net metering program allowing customers with their own solar/self-generating systems to offset electricity usage through interconnection agreements with RMU.
• Residential Incentives Energy efficiency incentive program for residential customers offering rebates on attic insulation (up to $350), window replacement (up to $3,000), high-efficiency HVAC ($300-$700), appliances ($150 each), tankless water heaters ($125), high-efficiency toilets ($75), and learning thermostats (up to $100).
• Summer Saver Program Peak demand response program enabling customers to reduce electric usage during peak hours (2pm-7pm Monday-Friday in summer months) in exchange for lower electric rates under Rate 115.
• Recycling Residential recycling program allowing residents to mix recyclables in bins with bi-weekly curbside pickup, accepting paper products, glass, aluminum cans, and coded plastics numbered 1-7.
• Appliance & Electronics Recycling Curbside pickup service for electronics ($20 per item) and appliances ($5 per item) in partnership with Northern Illinois Disposal, plus quarterly free electronics recycling events.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Two public electric vehicle charging stations in downtown Rochelle parking lots at the 400 Block of North Main Street, installed with universal connectors at a cost of $20,000.
• Financial Assistance Program Utility bill assistance program providing up to $750 per household annually for qualifying residential customers with combined gross income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines, funded by renewable energy credit sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Solar plant payback period of 4.2 years with 15 years of free solar energy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Archaea EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2011Partnership in Bio-Gas Landfill-Gas-To-Energy Facility (Rochelle Energy Center). Archaea Energy operates the 4.8-megawatt renewable energy facility at Rochelle Municipal Landfill #2. RMU purchases the power produced and retains all renewable energy credits. Plant started commercial operation in December 2011 using three Caterpillar G3520 generator sets.
• National Power Rodding Corp.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContracted for sanitary sewer work in northwest and southeastern quadrants of Rochelle. Project includes sewer cleaning, televising, and rehabilitation through trenchless sewer lining process (cured-in-place pipe installation).
• Northern Illinois DisposalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for curbside electronics and appliance recycling on Thursdays as well as quarterly free electronics recycling events. Cost: $20 per electronic item, $5 per appliance. Also provides residential recycling bin service.
• PanOptic SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide energy audits to residents and small business owners. RMU pays half of the audit cost. Home audit: $150 total ($75 RMU), Small business audit: $400 total ($200 RMU). PanOptic has over ten years of experience in sustainability and reliability insights.
• Upcycle Products, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for rain barrel program. City subsidized rain barrels ($50 reduction) available to customers. 55-gallon rain barrels shipped directly to homes. 100 subsidized barrels available in 2023.
• Illinois Clean Energy FoundationminorOthersProvided 60% funding grant for the 312 kW Solar Photovoltaic Plant at the Water Treatment Plant.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jackson Energy Authority: Tennessee municipal multi-utility providing electric, natural gas, water, wastewater, fiber, and broadband services. Closely mirrors RMU's integrated service portfolio in a similar mid-size community.
• City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) - Springfield, IL: Springfield, Illinois municipal utility providing electric, water, and communications services. Same-state Illinois peer with overlapping multi-utility structure serving a mid-size city.
• Lincoln Electric System: Nebraska municipal electric utility with generation, distribution, and fiber services. Comparable in customer scale and municipal ownership structure.
• Longmont Power & Communications: Colorado municipal utility offering electric service and NextLight gigabit fiber broadband. Comparable integration of electric utility and fiber-to-the-home business like RMU.
• Greenlight Community Broadband (City of Wilson, NC): Municipal fiber network run by a city-owned utility, comparable to RMU Fiber in offering symmetrical broadband as part of a multi-service municipal utility.
• Cedar Falls Utilities: Iowa municipal multi-utility offering electric, water, gas, and fiber broadband to a small city (~40,000 population). Closest comparable in scope, scale, and integrated-service model to RMU.

Broad incumbents

• Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC): Large Florida municipal utility providing electric, water, chilled water, and solar generation. Comparable multi-service municipal model at significantly larger scale than RMU.
• JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority): Major Florida community-owned utility providing electric, water, and wastewater services to Jacksonville. Broader incumbent peer with similar electric/water/wastewater portfolio.
• Austin Energy: Texas municipal electric utility serving Austin, with generation, distribution, and renewable programs. Comparable municipal ownership and renewable energy integration.
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD): California municipal electric utility with generation, T&D, and aggressive renewable portfolio. Comparable focus on municipal-owned renewables and ratepayer-owned governance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rochelleutility
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rochelle-municipal-utilities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RMU