Solid Waste Services Energy

Energy touches every aspect of operations at SWS: collections, disposal, fleet management, facilities operation, and more. We both consume and produce energy through our daily operations.

SWS is constantly exploring ways to reduce its energy footprint and maximize the energy resources it has, like landfill gas. Our operations are wide ranging, which means we leverage a wide range of energy solutions to reduce the environmental impact of our operations.

This page showcases some examples of energy projects at SWS.

Solar makes up a small but growing piece of SWS's energy resources. While solar technologies are less effective in Alaska than in Arizona, our extended daylight in the summer months means that solar energy production is capable of offsetting significant amount of power demand. Gemany, which hosts some of the largest amounts of solar capacity in Europe has similar solar resources to Anchorage. While solar resources are unlikely to be capable of providing all of the power demand for SWS's facilities, strategically implementing solar at our sites helps offset our utility power consumption and saves the grid natural gas.

SWS's solar projects currently include:

50 kW at the Anchorage Regional Landfill,
Coming soon: Solar at the Central Transfer Station.

The SWS fleet is made up of nearly every type of vehicle class, from pickup trucks and SUVs to box trucks, garbage trucks, semis, and landfill compactors. Reducing fuel consumption requires a variety of solutions and creativity. SWS is currently testing fully electric heavy duty vehicles as a part of our fleet operations, which means implementing charging infrastructure, reviewing operational processes charge during the more cost effective times, assessing the impacts of cold weather, snow, and ice on vehicle operations, and more.

The SWS electric fleet includes:

Two fully electric 520 garbage trucks,
One fully electric 220 box truck.

Energy efficiency makes up the cornerstone of SWS's resiliency efforts. Fewer kWh, gallons, or Btu used means savings to the ratepayer and less impact on the environment.

The new Central Transfer Station is an example of a facility designed with energy efficiency in mind. The complex was constructed with energy efficiency in mind with state of the art energy systems to monitor and manage building energy usage integrated into the facility. CTS also uses a combined heat and power systems, run off of five 75 kW micro turbines which provide heat and power for the main administrative building and tipping floor. The system is capable of providing power to the tipping floor and administrative building during grid down times, giving the facility an added resiliency bonus.

Landfill gas is a byproduct of the waste decomposition process. At the Anchorage Regional Landfill gas is collected, treated, and used to produce 7 MW of power in partnership with Doyon Utilities. That electricity powers approximately 25% of the power needs of JBER. The project diverts gas that would otherwise be flared to beneficial use.

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​​SWS Energy Project Fact Sheets

SWS Energy Project Fact Sheets