Maryland County, AFI to pursue waste to energy

Washington County in Maryland and West Virginia-based America First, Inc. (AFI) have formed a public-private partnership to develop a waste-to-energy facility that will convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into fuels. Washington County officials said that the county will provide the location and feedstocks for the facility, while AFI will bear all of the financial risk associated with the construction and operation of the plant. The two partners will share the revenue generated by the enterprise, which the county expects to yield net profit of up to $200,000 per month through the sale of refuse-derived fuel and other products. In a release announcing the partnership, Washington County said that it is seeking to become a model for other counties in the state and the country in showing how waste to energy can contribute to economic development.