Dive Brief:

• A new power plant has opened in DeKalb County, Alabama. The facility uses methane from the Sand Valley landfill to generate power.
• The facility is capable of creating energy to power 3,000 homes in the area.
• According to television station WAFF, the project is a collaboration between Republic Waste, Sand Mountain Cooperative, Energy Developments and the Tennessee Valley Authority. (TVA)

Dive Insight:

Waste-to-energy is a rapidly expanding industry, and plants are seen as a solution to growing mountains of waste found in landfills across the country. Many sites are expected to reach capacity within the next decade, and municipalities are searching for alternative options to expansion and constructing entirely new landfills. A new WTE plant, currently in its beginning stages, will be built in Frederick, Md. This facility will transform biosolids, waste and even tires, to create energy. Meanwhile, the largest WTE and MRF project is underway in Grove City, Ohio. The facility will measure 185,000 square feet when finished. In December 2013, General Motors announced a project which would convert landfill waste into steam, which would heat and cool one of its plants.