Last year, it was gas tax all year long.

I predict this year it’s going to be all about the decision on which new-tech, high-tech, waste-to-energy system for garbage disposal Metro Vancouver decides on.

Port Coquitlam Mayor Greg Moore says the RFP is likely going to go out by the end of March, with a decision by the end of the year. As my story in today’s Globe notes, international companies — along with Covanta, which currently runs the Burnaby incinerator, and Aquilini — are panting to come to a place like Vancouver, whose choice will signal what’s okay among green-aspiring cities.

Whatever Vancouver decides is going to be major news in the garbage world, because it’s one of only about a dozen places that are currently moving ahead with non-landfill choices for garbage.

A couple of eastern counties in the States, Edmonton in Alberta and Durham/York counties in Ontario, and Los Angeles are the front runners in what has become a new era for garbage disposal.

We seem to be following down the path of Los Angeles the most closely which, as Metro is planning to do, created a two-tier bidding process for garbage disposal, with one contract going to something that had to be a “proven” technology to deal with large quantities and one that was open to emerging, alternative technologies for a smaller amount.

This is going to be a tough one at Metro, with municipalities up the Fraser Valley facing likely strong opposition from residents who fear any particulates drifting up the valley from anything built closer to the coast, Vancouver councillors pushing for a non-incineration option, and cranky taxpayers balking at the half-billion-dollar cost.