Dive Brief:

• Waste Management will double its capacity at its Columbia Ridge landfill site in Arlington, WA.
• The waste-to-energy facility currently processes two million tons of waste annually. The system, which collects enough methane from the trash to power 6,250 households, will expand significantly with the addition of four new engines. Production will increase from 6.4 megawatts to 12.8 megawatts. 
• Seattle City Light, a major public utility company, has inked a deal to purchase all of the electricity created at the site.

Dive Insight:

The state of Washington currently has some of the strictest energy policies in the U.S. State law requires that large utility companies get 15% of their electricity from renewable resources created after 1997. The deal will help the corporation reach its requirements. 

A spokesperson for Waste Management said the company is constantly seeking to leverage its infrastructure. The landfill site also uses wind turbines to generate alternative energy and a plasma gasification project to convert household waste into fuel.