The waste-to-energy (WTE) sector is navigating a period of renewal and reassessment. With new plants coming online, policy regimes shifting, and technology debates intensifying, this piece examines 12 critical points that define the current state of the WTE market in the U.S. and Europe.

U.S. Snapshot: Capacity, Growth & Market Dynamics

1. The U.S. currently hosts 85 WTE facilities across 23 states (with four inactive), processing over 30 million tons of waste annually. 

2. The Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility 2 is the first new ground-up WTE plant in the U.S. in two decades, boasting 95 MW capacity and mass-burn technology.

3. Florida leads the U.S. in facility count, now hosting 12 WTE installations; only 11 states have three or more. 

4. Mass-burn systems dominate, with 62 active facilities utilizing mass burn, 13 using refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and six using modular combustion units. 

5. Many facilities don’t just sell electricity; some also export steam, and 18 sites operate in cogeneration mode. 

These U.S. trends emphasize both the legacy nature of much WTE infrastructure and hints of resurgence via new capacity and hybrid energy outputs.

Back in June 2015, the Babcock & Wilcox Company, a clean energy technology and services provider for the nuclear, fossil, and renewable power markets based in Charlotte, N.C., announced the grand opening of the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s waste-to-energy (WTE) facility in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“The completion of this state-of-the-art facility represents the culmination of a 10-year effort that virtually ensures to the taxpayers of Palm Beach County that their solid waste will be disposed of in the most efficient and environmentally sensitive method available in the world today, long into the future,” Ray Schauer, SWA director of engineering and public works, said in a statement.

After a decade since this new WTE facility came online, it is an opportune time to review the state of WTE in the United States. Here’s a look at some of the key information on the sector.

1. There are currently 85 WTE facilities in the U.S.

There are 85 waste-to-energy facilities in 23 states, according to the Energy Recovery Council. Four facilities are inactive. (There were 102 facilities in 2000, according to the EPA.)

The nation’s waste-to-energy facilities process in excess of 30 million tons of trash per year, sell more than 14.5 million megawatt hours to the grid, and recover more than 730,000 tons of ferrous metals for recycling. In addition, many facilities sell steam directly to end-users, thereby offsetting the use of fossil fuels in the production of that energy.

2. The first new facility in 20 years just opened.

The Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility 2 has three mass-burning, WTE boilers that can generate up to 95 megawatts of electricity. As measured by energy generation capacity, it is now the largest of its kind in the United States. Moreover, it’s the first ground-up waste-to-energy facility to open in the U.S. in 20 years.

3. Florida has the most significant number of facilities.

With the opening of the new Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility 2 in West Palm Beach, the state has 12 WTE facilities. Overall, 11 states have three or more facilities. New York (10), Minnesota (9), and Massachusetts (7) have the most facilities aside from Florida.

4. WTE use is driven by legislation and geography.

Generally, states that define WTE facilities as renewable energy have WTE facilities, while those without WTE laws on the books do not. Of the 23 states with WTE facilities, 21 count the technology as renewable. Only New Hampshire and North Carolina have facilities without WTE counted as renewable. On the other hand, 10 states that classify WTE as renewable energy do not have any WTE facilities.

The other determining factor is geography. WTE facilities are more prevalent in the parts of the country where there are fewer landfills. Nearly half of the WTE facilities in operation are in the Northeastern U.S. In contrast, the region has the fewest landfills.

5. Mass burn is the most popular technology.

Overall, 62 operating facilities (and three inactive ones) utilize mass burn technology, which enables the combustion of municipal solid waste (MSW) without prior processing. An additional 13 facilities use refuse-derived fuel (RDF), a pre-processed form of municipal solid waste. Six active facilities (and one inactive) utilize modular combustion units, which are similar to mass burn, but are typically smaller and pre-fabricated.

6. Most facilities produce electricity, but some produce steam.

With the addition of the Palm Beach facility, 63 facilities are now set up to produce electricity for sale to the grid as their primary energy product. Four facilities can export steam without generating any electricity. Lastly, 18 are cogeneration plants, which export steam to end users and can also generate power.

7. WTE facilities are generally privately operated, but nearly half are publicly owned.

Overall, 41 facilities are publicly owned by solid waste authorities, while 44 are privately owned. However, the majority of facilities are privately operated. Covanta Energy and Wheelabrator Technologies are the most prominent players in the WTE market. Covanta operates 40 facilities. Wheelabrator operates 16.

8. Almost all WTE facilities in the U.S. were built in the 1980s.

The oldest current facility in the United States is the Susquehanna Resource Management Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. It began operation in 1972 and underwent a retrofit in 2006. It is a mass burn facility with a gross energy capacity of 20.8 megawatts. Two more facilities opened in 1975.

But the majority of the 85 facilities—56 in all—came online during the 1980s. The peak years for WTE’s commencement of operation were 1987 (12), 1988 (16), and 1989 (12). Additionally, 16 more started operation in 1990 and 1991 combined. However, the industry declined, with only three facilities coming online each year in 1992, 1994, and 1995. After that, there was a 20-year gap before the Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility 2 began operation in June.

9. WTE facilities handle 13 percent of the MSW stream.

According to the EPA, 32.66 million tons of waste were combusted in 2013, the most recent year for which figures are available. That represented 12.9 percent of the MSW stream in the U.S.

That figure includes approximately 29.5 million tons of municipal solid waste, 510,000 tons of wood, and 2,650,000 tons of tires. That was a slight increase over the 32.2 million tons of garbage combusted in 2012.

10. WTE use peaked in the early 2000s, but is on the rise again.

According to the EPA, “MSW combustion with energy recovery increased substantially between 1980 and 1990 (from 2.7 million tons in 1980 to 29.7 million tons in 1990). From 1990 to 2000, the quantity of MSW combusted with energy recovery increased by over 13 percent to 33.7 million tons. After 2000, the quantity of MSW combusted with energy recovery has remained between 29.0 million tons and 32.7 million tons (12.9 percent of MSW generation in 2013). Discards sent for combustion with energy recovery were 0.57 pounds per person per day.”

12. WTE facilities are popular in Europe.

There is less space for landfills in Europe, which has led to more aggressive pursuit of waste diversion strategies. As of 2012, there were 456 facilities in 21 countries for WTE, according to the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants. France (128), Germany (80), and Italy (46) account for more than half of that total. Germany (23.5 million tons) and France (15.0 million tons) process the most significant volumes of waste in WTE plants.

In the EU, 28 nations plus Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, 26 percent of the MSW stream is incinerated. Estonia (64 percent), Norway (58 percent), Denmark (54 percent), Sweden (50 percent), the Netherlands (49 percent), and Switzerland (49 percent) have the highest percentage of MSW going to incineration.

Gain Strategic Clarity in the Evolving WTE Landscape with Klean

Policy Insight. Technology Perspective. One Partner That Guides Decisive Action.

The WTE sector is at a crossroads, with legacy infrastructure, regulatory shifts, and technology evolution all converging. Klean Industries offers deep insight, advisory, and project structuring to help you navigate this landscape with confidence.

Klean’s WTE & Waste Strategy Strengths:

✅ Market & Technology Trend Analysis for WTE Projects
✅ Policy & Regulatory Mapping in U.S. & EU Contexts
✅ Technical Validation of WTE Configurations
✅ Feedstock & Energy Integration Strategy
✅ Project Advisory from Feasibility to Deployment

With Klean’s domain depth and circular systems thinking, your waste-to-energy initiatives will be purpose-driven, future-ready, and optimized for impact.

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