Maryland law subsidizes burning trash to create energy as renewable, placing it on par with wind and solar, despite the carbon emissions and air pollution it releases.
The WIN Waste incinerator in Baltimore has been categorized as Baltimore’s biggest single source of air pollution. WIN Waste received $4.2 million through the state’s renewable energy purchase program in 2022, the latest year for which data was available, according to an analysis of state data by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and other nonprofits. WIN declined to confirm the figure, but said, the payments “represent a small percentage of the cost to convert waste to energy, but are a significant contributor to our charitable gifts, nonprofit partnerships, environmental upgrades and to offer competitive wages to our local team members,” WIN Waste spokesperson Mary Urban said in a statement.
