Trash Burning No Longer Considered “Renewable Energy” in Maryland
April 10, 2025
Maryland lawmakers enacted legislation on April 7 ending Maryland’s classification of trash incineration as “renewable energy.”
It’s been considered that since 2011, as part of the state’s “renewable portfolio standard” program. As such, the energy generated in “waste-to-energy” (or “refuse-derived fuel) facilities, such as the one in Dickerson, was treated the same as energy produced by solar and wind facilities. That included subsidies to help promote renewable energy sources.
Thus, incinerators effectively took money out of the pockets of solar, wind and other clean energy companies—even as incinerators polluted the air and generated greenhouse gases. Since 2011, Maryland consumers have supported the Dickerson incinerator to the tune of around $30 million.
The new law is a huge win for environmental, civic and energy justice groups—includingSCA—which have been pushing this outcome for years.
Maryland is now the second state, after California, to delete trash incineration from its renewable energy portfolio.
“It’s about time,” said Lauren Greenberger, SCA’s vice president and main advocate on the issue. “It’s been such a ‘waste’ of money—pun intended—and has helped prop up the remaining incinerators in the state, which are too old, inefficient, and produce dirty energy.”
Added Jennifer Kunze, Maryland Program Director with Clean Water Action: “This action will help support the development of zero waste infrastructure by making it easier for composting, reuse and recycling, and other healthier solid waste management practices to compete without fighting uphill against state subsidies supporting the worst solid waste management option.”
The “Renewable Portfolio Standard” (RPS) is a tool many states use to support renewable energy. It requires utilities to subsidize renewable energy with funding from electricity customers by purchasing “RECs” (renewable energy credits) from qualified renewable energy sources.
Officials from Baltimore (where the state’s other incinerator is located) and Montgomery County testified in support of eliminating trash incineration from the RPS this year. And both jurisdictions have pledged to transition away from trash incineration.
A 2023 peer-reviewed study found that incinerators emit more greenhouse gas emissions per unit of electricity they put on the grid than any other power source, even coal plants.
Incinerators are also major sources of health-harming air emissions including dioxins, lead, mercury, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, and particulate matter.
Note: Portions of this post were derived from a Clean Water Action press release.