Hennepin County approves agreement with Great River Energy

The county board in Hennepin County, Minnesota, unanimously approved an agreement with Great River Energy, Maple Grove, Minnesota, and rejected its proposed contract with Covanta, Morristown, New Jersey to run the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC), a report by the Star Tribune says. The contract starts in 2018.

The agreement approval ends a relationship of more than 25 years with Covanta, the report says. The $25.5 million contract with Great River Energy will last for nearly 16 months and save the county $2 million per year.

U.S. Judge David Doty also denied Covanta’s request for a temporary restraining order against the county, according to the report. The judge cites the greater public interest of keeping HERC running for denying the request.

Covanta sued Hennepin County in federal court last month, according to the report, arguing that the county sabotaged negotiations over the contract. The Star Tirbune cites court documents that state Covanta’s claim it had notified Hennepin County in 2014 that it would be extending the contract another seven years, but the county “sabotaged the negotiations by insisting that Covanta agree to an entirely new set of contract terms” that shifted many risks, liabilities and responsibilities to the company and eliminated revenue sources.