Pakistan Energy Initiative:
Waste-to-Energy Projects, Best Practices in US Energy Infrastructure
Highlighted in 2020-2022 IVLP Programs
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A highly successful waste-to-energy project in Tampa and one of the nation's leading experts on energy infrastructure and finance earned World Partnerships a green light to host two virtual and one in-person IVLP projects for Pakistan in Tampa Bay.
Creating a more durable, sustainable and flexible power grid is one of Pakistan's most important economic policy initiatives, and finding the right mix of energy generation is a critical decision with future implications. Generating energy from municipal waste can be one of the solutions for present and future power needs In November 2020, the virtual component of the "US Technology and Solutions for Waste-to-Energy Program" came to Tampa Bay and "visited" with three City of Tampa officials of the second city-owned waste to energy facility in the US.
At Tampa's McKay Bay Waste-to-Energy Facility (at right, above), what cannot be recycled is burned at high temperatures in waste-fired boilers to generate steam for electricity, which is purchased by the Seminole Electric Cooperative under a supply agreement. Revenues from the sale of the electricity help the city offset the costs of waste disposal. In addition to recovering energy from municipal solid waste, Tampa has a materials recycling program for recovering glass, plastic, aluminum, paper, and yard waste. Furthermore, the City is also exploring the possibility of recycling the ash that remains after waste is combusted at the waste-to-energy facility. Another key recycling interest for the city is the recycling of metals separated from the ash after combustion. Pakistan officials viewed this as an excellent case study that would attack their municipal solid waste problems while providing much-needed solution to energy for municipalities across Pakistan. In June 2022, World Partnerships welcomed Pakistani waste-to-energy policy officials to Tampa Bay for the "in-person" component of their IVLP hybrid project. A number of them participated in a virtual project in November 2020. They spent a full-day with Chuck Conklin, Director of the City of Tampa Waste Management department, and got a hands-on visit to the McKay Bay waste-to-energy facility. |
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During both projects, the group met virtually with Mr. Peter Keller, Managing Director, Energy & Climate, Berkeley Research Group LLC (New York - pictured above). He is an experienced energy professional who has been involved in oil and gas finance since 1978 and utility/power finance since 2003. He has a deep background in transaction negotiation, origination, and structuring in both the institutional and corporate banking sectors. Peter led discussions on financial and regulatory issues in the waste-to-energy sector, and on general strategies for power grid development and management.
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In a separate November 2021 IVLP project entitled "Best Practices in U.S. Energy Infrastructure, Planning, and Execution", Peter Keller led a spirited discussion on the legacy infrastructure grid of the US, and the current evolution toward a more sustainable, more robust, and more resilient micro-grid model. He also discussed public/private partnerships in the power generation sector, and the importance of stability in multi-year frameworks as new technology is developed and deployed in the power sector.
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