[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING MARIAN MEDICAL CENTER'S CO-GENERATION ENERGY PLANT

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                            HON. LOIS CAPPS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2008

  Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Marian 
Medical Center, located in Santa Maria, California, and in my 
congressional district, for the recent completion of a new Co-
Generation Energy Plant. This truly is a win-win project that will 
benefit our community and the environment.
  With skyrocketing energy costs, it's very important now that we 
develop alternative methods of generating electricity. The Marian 
Medical Center Co-Generation Energy Plant system works by capturing 
toxic methane gas run-off from the Santa Maria Municipal Landfill and 
piping it to an energy plant recently built on the hospital campus 
where it is converted to clean electrical energy.
  Piping gas from the landfill to power the hospital will significantly 
reduce methane emissions and offset the use of non-renewable resources, 
such as natural gas and oil. The energy plant will also result in 
significant energy and cost savings for the hospital. It will supply 
all but 50 kilowatts of the energy necessary to power the medical 
center and is expected to achieve an annual electrical cost savings of 
nearly $350,000. Finally, the cogeneration project will provide 
benefits to the City of Santa Maria, which will be able to make use of 
and receive revenue for an otherwise unused, potentially toxic 
resource.
  I am so proud that Marian Medical Center is one of only a handful of 
healthcare facilities in the nation to be powered by co-generated 
energy. This project is the result of a unique partnership and I want 
to commend Marian Medical Center and the City of Santa Maria for 
serving as a role model for other organizations in our community.

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