[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 28782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   WOOD CHIP CO-GENERATION SYSTEM TO HEAT AND POWER VERMONT HOSPITAL

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                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 15, 2005

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to share with you some information 
regarding a bold new system that will help a small hospital in my state 
save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in energy costs, while 
dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental 
pollutants.
   North Country Hospital in Newport, Vermont, has instituted an 
ingenious heating and electricity co-generation system that utilizes 
biomass wood chips instead of traditional heating oil as its fuel 
source. It is believed to be the first use of such technology in any 
hospital in the country. At today's energy prices, this new biomass 
gasification system could save the hospital as much as $328,000 
annually in energy costs.
  In addition to providing heat for the hospital complex, the process 
heats water from the chips into steam, which not only provides a 
supplemental source of electricity, but will produce the hospital's hot 
water and also help operate other critical equipment within the 
hospital, such as sterilization equipment, dishwashers and clothes 
dryers.
  Energy cost savings realized by this environmentally sound energy 
choice will save the hospital, and hence its patients, substantial 
money that can be better directed toward critical healthcare services. 
This system provides an innovative example to hospitals and other 
public buildings in Vermont, across the country, and throughout the 
world.
  Already, business people, government officials and hospital 
administrators from other regions are touring the new facility with an 
eye toward implementing such a system themselves. A company in Spain is 
designing a system based on North Country's model, with the exception 
that it will actually burn tomato vines instead of wood chips as its 
energy source. Surely, a system so versatile has tremendous potential 
to be effectively used far and wide.
  Wood chips are a renewable source of energy, which recycles carbon 
that already exists in the natural carbon cycle; meaning no new carbon 
dioxide is added to the atmosphere from this biomass energy source. 
Wood chips are supplied from within Vermont; hence money spent on wood 
chips stays in the local economy and supports jobs in the area's forest 
products industry. For buildings 50,000 sq. ft. and larger, fuel cost 
savings likely more than offset capital financing costs and additional 
maintenance staff time requirements; hence, in many cases, a system can 
pay for itself in 5 to 10 years.
  I enthusiastically commend the Board of Trustees at North Country 
Hospital and their innovative staff, especially Larry Labor, Steve 
Wolff and Terry Robbins, for taking energy matters into their own hands 
and raising the bar for how local leadership can have national and 
international significance and positive impact. Each of them deserves 
high praise for their efforts. They have given us a sterling example of 
how American hospitals can save substantial money on energy costs, help 
improve environmental conditions related to heat and energy production, 
and help support their local job markets in the process. I encourage 
other hospitals and institutions in Vermont and across the country to 
study the potential of this new system for their own facilities and to 
duplicate it where appropriate.

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