HONOLULU -- Mayor Jeremy Harris proposed a huge expansion of the city's garbage-to-energy H-Power plant during his annual "State of the City" address Monday.

The plans would save money in the long run but would cost millions and take years.

Harris proposes increasing the H-power plant's capacity by 50 percent to cut down on the amount of trash going into landfills:

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Report: State Of City

"That way, solid waste that used to go to the landfill will now be recycled or used to generate electricity," Harris said.

The mayor also wants the city to build a waste separation facility at H-Power to take out un-recyclable materials to further reducing landfill needs.

Harris also wants to acquire land at H-Power to create a recycling technology park where waste will eventually be turned into construction materials.

"This will allow us to process up to fifty tons of refuse each day. It actually turns the refuse into glass," Harris said.

These plans announced by Harris at his speech may take years to develop because the city needs to buy or lease land, enter into contracts with private companies and get environmental permits from federal and state agencies.

The mayor (pictured, right) said he'd release specific costs estimates when he gives his budget proposal to the city council in a month, but the city would have to borrow millions of dollars for them.

"We have a real challenge ahead of us, with regard to our liquid and solid wastes. And I was very happy to hear the mayor delineate some of the things we're going to do to deal with that problem," council chairman Jon Yoshimura said.

Yoshimura and five other city council members will leave city hall by the end of the year to run for other offices or because of term limits. The mayor said he plans to step down, too, to run for governor.

So most of these politicians won't be around the see these projects thru

"These are challenges that we need to deal with, regardless of who's here. And I hope that message would stick with the people of this city, and with the people who are going to remain here as council members," Yoshimura said.

Experts said improving the city’s solid waste disposal, while not particularly flashy, are something that's 10 years overdue.

Harris pledged to keep from raising property taxes.

"Despite the fact that in the coming year, collective bargaining pay raises will increase by 24 million dollars, in the coming budget, I will ask for no increases in real property tax rates in any category," Harris said.

But if the mayor and the city council don't drop property tax rates, homeowners who've seen their property values go up this year will pay more property taxes.

Two years ago, the council and the mayor raised property tax rates to make up for the decline in property values, so the city could keep bringing in the same amount of revenue.

Read Harris' Speech