SWANA ARF Report Explores Options for Aging Waste-to-Energy Facilities

The SWANA Applied Research Foundation (ARF) released a new research report titled Aging WTE Facilities: Refurbish or Replace? This report provides critical guidance on evaluating whether to refurbish or replace aging waste-to-energy (WTE) infrastructure. 

With the average age of the 63 currently operating WTE facilities in the United States now exceeding 36 years, well beyond the typical 25-to-30-year service life, communities are increasingly asking whether they should invest in refurbishing older facilities or replace them entirely with new infrastructure. 

“This report is extremely timely, as many jurisdictions with aging waste-to-energy infrastructure must soon determine the most cost effective and sustainable path forward,” said SWANA CEO Amy Lestition Burke, MA, FASAE, CAE. “Refurbishment and replacement both carry significant capital implications, and this report provides the data and case studies needed to inform those decisions.” 

The report includes real world case studies from communities in Florida, where local governments have taken varied approaches: 

• Pinellas County invested $250 million beginning in 2015 to refurbish its 40-year-old facility, extending its life by 25 years.
• Tampa completed a $100 million retrofit of its McKay Bay facility in 2024.
• Palm Beach County built a new $672 million facility in 2015 and plans to spend $1.5 billion on a replacement facility opening in 2034.
• Lee County added a third combustion unit to its existing facility in 2007 to increase processing capacity at a cost of $120 million. 

The report also discusses broader considerations such as financing, regulatory compliance, emissions controls, and community impacts.