Facilities that derive energy-from-waste (EFW) rely on several different technologies, including anaerobic digestion, landfill-gas systems, conventional combustion and emerging thermal conversion technologies, such as gasification and pyrolysis. Fuels, such as renewable natural gas (RNG), can also be derived from waste and used to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. RNG, for instance, can be a source of fuel for trucking fleets and can be added to natural gas pipelines where the proper infrastructure exists.

EFW has an important role to play in an integrated waste management and resource recovery hierarchy that prioritizes waste reduction, reuse and then recovery. No one EFW technology can be applied across the board. Instead, energy options should be selected to suit the unique waste management needs of communities while balancing social, economic and environmental considerations.

EFW facilities should receive credit for the energy they generate from waste. Certain facilities, such as anaerobic digestion and landfill-gas systems, already receive incentives through Ontario’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program while other emerging technologies do not.

Goal

The provincial government should deal with all EFW facilities, regardless of the technology, in a similar manner by developing a policy and a pricing framework that is consistent, predictable and transparent.

Position

W2RO continues to work with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change on building an approach to incentivize all EFW facilities in a fair and transparent manner.

We continue to advocate for the inclusion of the association’s Guiding Principles on Integrated Solid Waste Recovery and Utilization in new regulations and actions plans, including the Waste-Free Ontario Strategy, the Climate Change Action Plan and the Long-Term Energy Plan.

Documents

Letter to the Energy Minister, re: fair pricing program for EFW facilities, January 2014