Reusing waste heat has many benefits, but needs financial and political support
March 24, 2026 by Ever-Green Energy
The Great Lakes Are Wasting a Massive Source of Clean Energy¸ Circle of Blue
Waste heat recovery systems capture and reuse byproduct heat for space heating or water heating that would otherwise be put back into the environment. This process can help reduce or eliminate carbon emissions from heating and cooling, among other benefits. While waste heat systems are more common in Europe, systems in North America are successful use cases.
Clean Heat St. Paul is a proposal by the City of Saint Paul, the Metropolitan Council, Xcel Energy, and District Energy St. Paul to use waste water from the Metropolitan Council’s treatment plant to replace natural gas. While still in the conceptual planning stages, District Energy hopes that, once a reality, Clean Heat St. Paul could serve as a model for other cities.
The technology and engineering behind waste heat recovery systems are well-understood, argues Luke Gaalswyk, President and CEO of Ever-Green Energy. To implement them more widely requires stakeholder input and supportive policy changes.
For more on the growing push for waste heat recovery, read the full profile in Circle of Blue.
