A review of economic and environmental consequences from waste-based power generation: Evidence from Taiwan

Energy sustainability is keyed to social development, and thus finding renewable and clean energy sources is crucial to modern society. Waste to energy technology is of particular interest in recent years because the feedstock supply is relatively stable and the technology is less influenced by climate and geographic conditions. This study first reviews this technology, and then provides a case study to explore the potential investment, economic benefits, and environmental consequences associated with such an application. The results indicate that the energy conversion efficiency and net social benefits are highly dependent on the composition of the wastes, the transportation costs, and the distribution of regional population. The results imply that for the application of waste to energy technology to be efficient and effective, the locations of refuse plants play an important role, as well as the recycled rates of municipal solid wastes. Policy implications regarding these points are also discussed in detail.