The municipality of Anchorage Assembly in Alaska recently allocated capital funding from the solid waste and wastewater utility departments to advance the permitting and design of a mass-burn waste-to-energy (WTE) facility. This will be the first greenfield mass-burn WTE project in Alaska and the first in the United States in 20 years. The project will extend the landfill’s life by 100 years, produce 20–30 megawatts of power, diversify the power generation portfolio in Alaska, and offset the need for the import of liquid natural gas for heat and power production.

It will also treat wastewater biosolids and save a $150 million investment by the wastewater utility for solids handling. The facility will provide other tangible benefits for residents of Anchorage and the state of Alaska, including the treatment of PFAS/PFOA-containing materials and providing a regional solid waste disposal location in South Central Alaska.