Dive Brief:

• The York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority in Pennsylvania, who owns the York County Resource Recovery Center (RRC), and Covanta York Renewable Energy Systems, who operates the RRC, are extending their operation and maintenance contract until 2035 for the waste-to-energy facility in Manchester Township, PA.
• The facility, which can process up to 1,344 tons of municipal solid waste per day, has converted more than 10.8 million tons of MSW to more than 5.5 million megawatt hours of energy since its 1989 launch. The RRC serves more than 440,000 residents in York County and in 2014 processed 448,547 tons of waste, avoiding emissions of about 448,547 tons of CO2.
• The new agreement begins Jan. 1, 2016 and continues through Dec. 31, 2035, with the framework of the current service agreement remaining intact. An additional $30 million will be invested to ensure that the facility remains at a high operational level. 

Dive Insight:

The waste-to-energy movement continues to grow, as do partnerships to support it, pushing the industry toward a sustainable future.

"This agreement positions the Authority and Covanta to continue serving York County’s municipal solid waste management needs well into the future by ensuring reliable and outstanding operation of the RRC," said Authority Executive Director David Vollero in a press release.

"Together, we’ve generated significant volumes of electricity for our residents from trash that would otherwise go to landfills. Our partnership with Covanta has played an important role in reducing the county’s carbon footprint and elevating the region as a waste management leader."

As the waste-to-energy company extends its operations in Pennsylvania, it continues to battle with the Pennsylvania DEP over the benefits of WTE incinerators versus converting landfill gas to energy. In November, Covanta announced that it wanted to prohibit allowances for landfills that capture methane if Pennsylvania creates an emissions trading system. An answer for the best solid waste management systems has yet to be proven.