Biogas
Biogas is renewable energy created from organic waste. When matter is deprived of oxygen, bacteria break down the material, releasing gasses like methane, which can be used as fuel. It’s an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels that uses natural resources while managing waste.
Transforming waste into clean energy
As solid waste decomposes underground, it gives off about 300 cubic feet of gas a minute. More than half of that is methane gas. The methane is captured and pumped to an engine through a low-pressure gas line into a generator set that produces electricity and waste heat. The electricity is sent to the power grid and used by households and businesses throughout the community, including our healthcare facilities.
La Crosse County landfill project
We partner with La Crosse County to capture biogas created from waste at the landfill and turn it into electricity and heat. Previously, methane was captured and flared off at the landfill, and the natural resource was wasted. However, the project allows waste to be put to good use. It is an excellent solution for previously unused energy resources. It's also a wonderful example of what a public-private partnership can achieve.
Landfill gas-to-energy project
July 2023 - June 2024
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4M
kilowatt-hours (kWh) produced
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364
homes a year powered
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2,791
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) produced
Sustainability in Onalaska
Instead of flaring the waste biogas from the landfill off, the County pipes it to an engine installed at the Onalaska Campus. The engine also creates heat, which is used to heat buildings and water on the campus. This project produces more energy than the Onalaska Campus consumes, making the multiple buildings the first known 100% energy-independent healthcare campus in the country. While there are many examples of landfill gas-to-energy projects in the United States, it is rare to capture the heat that is produced by the engine and use it to heat healthcare buildings.
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Send us your questions and ideas about environmental sustainability.