New Waste-to-Energy Projects: Opportunity Knocks!

Never have conditions been more favorable for the development of new waste-to-energy projects. The record of operating waste-to-energy plants has dispelled all of the objections that had been raised by environmental activists with respect to emissions and residue toxicity. The economics have become positive due to the rising cost of disposal at distant landfills and the increased value of the recovered energy due to sharp increases in the cost of fossil fuels. The threat of global warming and the recognition of the need to reduce reliance on imported fuel sources have made the public aware of the need to make full use of all domestic sources of energy. Regardless of legal definitions, energy from wastes is renewable energy and established technology. Waste-to-energy plants are even now providing more energy then other renewable sources such as biomass, wind, and direct solar combined. What is needed now for the industry to look at the existing technology to see how it can optimize energy recovery, both in capital and operating costs, without compromising environmental performance. Above all, we need a major push to make our case with the public and the politicians who represent it to convince them that waste-to- energy is not only good economics, but good environmental policy as well.