Europe Finds Clean Energy in Trash, but U.S. Lags

"HORSHOLM, Denmark — The lawyers and engineers who dwell in an elegant enclave here are at peace with the hulking neighbor just over the back fence: a vast energy plant that burns thousands of tons of household garbage and industrial waste, round the clock.

The Vestforbraending plant in Copenhagen, the largest of the 29 waste-to-energy plants in Denmark. Their use has reduced the country's energy costs.

Far cleaner than conventional incinerators, this new type of plant converts local trash into heat and electricity. Dozens of filters catch pollutants, from mercury to dioxin, that would have emerged from its smokestack only a decade ago.

In that time, such plants have become both the mainstay of garbage disposal and a crucial fuel source across Denmark, from wealthy exurbs like Horsholm to Copenhagen’s downtown area. Their use has not only reduced the country’s energy costs and reliance on oil and gas, but also benefited the environment, diminishing the use of landfills and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. The plants run so cleanly that many times more dioxin is now released from home fireplaces and backyard barbecues than from incineration."

More at: Europe Finds Cleaner Energy Source by Burning Trash - NYTimes.com

FYI- I talked to one of the SMC reps at the fair once and discussed the option of trading our trash for power. Seems it's not cost effective, no land to be had, et......
Problem is with government regulation and NIMBY attitude. Pinellas County (St Petersburg) Fl has one of the most efficient trash generators in the country and is often held out as an example. Not only is the energy cheap and clean but they have a huge recycling process plant too. The citizens are required to put anything recyclible in the containers. You can be fined for NOT recycling (which I don't think is a bad thing actually). Plus they take other areas' trash (for a fee - more money).
Of course we don't generate enough garbage to operate a plant, but imagine if North VA, MD DE & DC combined their trash and had a plant that would supply us with power instead of using fossil fuel. Plus if the plant had a recycling effort then that would bring down the cost of raw materials for industry.

But what do I know - I'm a conservative.

Harrisburg, PA has a high efficency clean trash power plant. The city is bankrupt due to it.

Aerogal said:

Seems it's not cost effective,

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huntr1 said:

The city is bankrupt due to it.

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Money money money - that's all you conservative teabaggers ever think about.


Isn't saving the planet worth being broke?

huntr1 said:

Harrisburg, PA has a high efficency clean trash power plant. The city is bankrupt due to it.

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I would have to wonder why one plant is highly successful and another is causing a city to go broke?

Could it be the fact that Fl is a right to work state and the UNIONS don't have a strangle hold on labor costs?

Aerogal said:

Of course we don't generate enough garbage to operate a plant, but imagine if North VA, MD DE & DC combined their trash and had a plant that would supply us with power instead of using fossil fuel. Plus if the plant had a recycling effort then that would bring down the cost of raw materials for industry.

But what do I know - I'm a conservative.

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Alex Va has had one on Eisenhower Ave for decades ...

EmptyTimCup said:

Alex Va has had one on Eisenhower Ave for decades ...

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But is it a CLEAN one? That's what bankrupted the PA one. They got closed down due to emissions, installed all the hi-tech filters and whatnot and now can't pay the bills. Something like 125 million if I recall the article correctly.

You know, if you recycle enough, you don't need massive incinerators. If that is the goal, isn't it stupid to embark on a nationwide building of trash incinerators?

I can't believe the U.S. is being *faulted* because they're not burning trash for fuel (however cleanly).