WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — Maui County's call for a developer to build and operate a plant that could turn tons of daily waste into energy for the island has received a lot of interest.

Last month, the county began seeking bids to convert the island's solid waste into energy in an effort to cut down on the amount of trash that ends up in the central landfill in Puunene.

As of last week, the Department of Environmental Management had received 111 prospective bidders, The Maui News reported Thursday (http://is.gd/c5QLHO). Bids include those from industry leaders Jacoby Energy, Zero Waste Energy, Novi Energy and Novo Energy. Also on the list are numerous companies or individuals listing Hawaii addresses.

Maui County officials have said the Department of Environmental Management would lease approximately 10 acres next to the landfill to the winning bidder, which would be required to finance, design, build and operate the project.

Maui generates between 450 tons and 500 tons of waste a day. The county would make available all of its waste streams to the facility for 20 years, including solid waste, green waste, sewage sludge and grease.

The deadline for bids has been extended to 4 p.m. on Jan. 31.

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Information from: The Maui News, http://www.mauinews.com