The La Crosse County Board has approved moving forward with a solid waste project that could bring about $3.5 million to La Crosse County.

The county has been working with Gundersen Lutheran on a gas to energy project. Right now the methane gas that's taken from the decomposing garbage in the landfill is wasted as it's burned off.

The new project would send that gas through a pipeline directly to Gundersen's Onalaska Clinic where it can be used to create electricity and heat.

Press Release

Gundersen Lutheran and La Crosse County are moving forward on a unique green project that will turn garbage into renewable energy. The project will use waste gas that is created from garbage at the
La Crosse County Landfill to create electricity and heat. Today (Aug. 19), the La Crosse County Board unanimously approved moving forward on the combined heat and power project, which is expected to offset about 12 percent of Gundersen Lutheran’s total energy use.
“This is a great use of a currently unused natural resource and it is an excellent example of what a public-private partnership can achieve in our community. We considered many partners for this project, and Gundersen Lutheran was a logical fit with their experience in renewable energy projects,” says Hank Koch, solid waste director, La Crosse County.

“We are very pleased to be entering into this partnership with La Crosse County,” adds Jeff Rich, executive director of Business Services, Gundersen Lutheran. “This project will help Gundersen Lutheran reduce the cost of healthcare, but beyond that, it’s good for the environment and it will be beneficial for the taxpayers of La Crosse County.”

Creating energy from trash
At the La Crosse County landfill, garbage degrades underground. As the solid waste decomposes, it gives off about 300 cubic feet of gas a minute. A little more than half of that gas is methane. Currently, the methane is captured and flared off at the landfill, and the natural resource goes unused.

The combined heat and power project will allow the gas to be put to good use. Instead of flaring it off, the County and Gundersen Lutheran will pipe the gas to an engine that will be installed on the Gundersen Lutheran – Onalaska Campus. The landfill gas will power the engine, and turn a generator that produces electricity. The clean electricity will be sent to the power grid to be used by households and businesses throughout the community. The engine also creates heat, which will be used to heat buildings on the Campus. In fact, this combined heat and power project will produce as much energy as the Gundersen Lutheran – Onalaska Campus consumes, making that Campus the only one in the country to be 100 percent energy independent.
“There are many examples of landfill gas-to-energy projects in the United States, and even right here in Wisconsin. However, it is rare to capture the heat that is produced by the engine and use it to heat buildings…especially on a healthcare campus,” Rich comments. “This is a great thing for our patients. If we can reduce our heating and other energy costs, the savings can be passed on in the form of lower healthcare costs.”