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The Kent County Waste to Energy Facility began commericial operation in January 1990. The facility processes 625 tons-per-day of municipal solid waste, generating up to 18 megawatts of electricity and/or up to 116,000 pounds of steam per hour for export. The steam is sold to the county owned District Heating and Cooling Operation (DHCO), a seven-mile underground distribution network, including fossil-fueled steam plant. The system heats and cools over one hundred downtown buildings, including three area hospitals. Under Covanta's operating contract, the company is responsible for maintaining the waste-to-energy facility, fossil fuel steam plant and the underground steam network. Waste is delivered to the facility from Grand Rapids and five surrounding cities: East Grand Rapids; Grandville; Kentwood; Walker; and Wyoming.
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