Conditions have become favorable for the development of new waste-to-energy (WTE) projects. The environmental record of operating plants demonstrates that the objections raised by environmental activists with respect to emissions and residue toxicity are without merit. The economics of WTE have become positive due to the rising cost of wqaste disposal at distant landfills and the increased value of the energy that can be recovered and sold. Sharp increases in the cost of fossil fuels and deregulation of the electric power industry allow WTE plant operators to market their net output at much more favorable terms than was possible in the past. 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 use of all domestic sources of energy.. Energy from solid waste is renewable energy and the basic technology is established world-wide by over 600 operating plants. In the US, WTE is producing more energy than biomass, wind, and direct solar combined. What is needed is for the waste management industry to improve their energy recovery system, both in the design and the operation, without compromising environmental performance. Energy efficiency of existing WTE plants is poor, and that of many of the "thermal processes" being proposed as substitutes for WTE even poorer. WTE plants must be designed as waste fueled power plants. The technology is available to dramatically increase the thermal efficiency of WTE plants and thus improve the economics.. We must also make a major effort to present our case to the public. The environmental activists are playing on fear, using mostly old data not applicable to WTE plants using state-of-the-art technology. WTE is not only good environmental policy, but good economics as well. The opportunity is here, it is up to the industry to take advantage of it.
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