The　urban　environment　has　deteriorated　and　garbage-surrounded　has　emerged　because　municipal　solid　waste　(MSW)　has　a　high　annual　growth　rate　of　the　whole　earth.　MSW　incineration　(MSWI)　technology,　which　contains　fermentation,　combustion,　heat　exchange,　and　purification,　can　achieve　the　goal　of　waste-to-energy　(WTE).　The　MSWI　process,　which　is　the　essential　way　of　dealing　with　MSW　in　the　future　for　a　long　time　and　the　supporting　industry　of　ecological　civilization　construction　and　the　circular　economy　system,　has　faced　a　major　opportunity　in　the　context　of　the　＇Double　Carbon　Strategy＇　and　the　＇Blue　Sky　Pure　Land＇　environmental　policy.　Incorporating　artificial　intelligence,　big　data,　cloud　computing,　and　other　technologies　to　conduct　smart,　low-carbon,　and　green　sustainable　development　of　MSWI　is　a　challenging　problem.　Aiming　at　this　problem,　the　operational　control　characteristic　and　difficulty　in　realizing　the　intelligent　optimal　control　are　analyzed　based　on　the　typical　MSWI　process　mechanism.　Further,　the　status　of　operation　control　is　investigated　from　6　viewpoints,　i.e.,　combustion　characteristic　analysis　and　modeling,　combustion　process　control,　indices　modeling　and　prediction,　operation　monitoring　and　fault　identification,　manipulate　(control)　value　optimization,　and　algorithm　simulation　verification　platform.　Then,　the　necessity　for　making　research　intelligent　optimization　control　is　analyzed.　Finally,　the　future　research　direction　is　given　based　on　the　nature　of　industrial　artificial　intelligence.　In　addition,　the　framework　and　future　of　MSWI＇s　intelligent　optimal　control　system　based　on　the　digital　twin　platform　have　been　prospected　and　future　challenges　are　summarized.　©　2023　Science　Press.　All　rights　reserved.