Waste-to-energy facilities have been a key component of Minnesota integrated solid waste management systems for more than 40 years. With the closure of the Great River Energy Resource Recovery Facility in 2020 and the recent approval by the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to close the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center in downtown Minneapolis, integrated solid waste management systems may look different in the future. Development of a new, privately owned Anaerobic Digester Facility and a publicly owned Mixed Waste Processing facility are in the works to help fill the gap in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.  

This presentation describes the two projects, including summaries of the technology being used, the materials to be received and processed, anticipated recovery rates, renewable energy generation rates, and the permitting and funding challenges they encountered to date.  

After attending this session, participants will be able to: 

• Compare the anaerobic digester and mixed waste processing technologies and how they can fit into a waste management system. 

• Discuss how environmental justice considerations changed the Minneapolis integrated waste management system and how a new mixed waste processing facility can be a part of a new system. 

• Identify the permitting and funding steps necessary to make an anaerobic digester facility a reality.