Sunday, April 13, 2008

NYC’s Hidden $4 Billion A Year Trash Treasure An economic study of New York’s Waste-to-Fuel Potential

NYC generates enough municipal solid waste (MSW) to produce approximately one billion gallons a year of alcohol suitable for use as fuel in gasoline and diesel powered vehicles (including jet aircraft). Every gallon of this fuel directly displaces one gallon of imported fuel from outside New York City’s boroughs. Assuming an imported value of only $2.00/gallon, NYC production of fuel using its current MSW flow and modern WTF technology can displace $ 2 billion worth of fuel imports annually.

For every gallon of import fuel eliminated, NYC would have to produce a gallon locally. NYC would realize the multiplier effect of replacing imports with local production. The local economy would increase its production of transportation fuel by 1 billion gallons ($ 2 billion) triggering a host of other economic multipliers including increased employment, corporate taxes and more.

New York City pays among the highest tipping fees in the country at around $ 70/ton. Approximately half of this or $ 35/ton is spent transporting waste materials as far away as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Saving this transportation expense alone will put $150 million/year back in the city’s coffers.

As existing landfills can be mined for their energy content (MSW would be excavated and used as fuel), the land can be returned to productive commercial or residential use. These properties could begin generating a larger tax base while eliminating the threat of water, soil and air contamination in the future. Staten Island’s Fish Kills landfill (currently closed) is the largest landfill in the world. MSW buried there will generate billions of dollars in clean fuels for generations. Its safe removal will ultimately return the land to it best and highest use.

New York needs to take advantage of its hidden trash economy now. There are at least a billion reasons to do so now.

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About Me

New York, New York, United States
I am a consultant in the alternative fuels industry focusing on waste-to-fuel, cellulosic biomass and coal conversion technology.