A hospital is now turning gas into cash, and helping to make the world a greener place. Ray Ogren finds out how methane gas is being used to help power health care.

Contractors pack this small construction site inch by inch.
One step closer to flipping the switch on an engine which turns bio-gas into electricity.

Corey Zarecki from Gundersen Lutheran Hospital says, "we hope to ultimately reduce the cost of health care with this project. This is just one piece of our energy independence portfolio."

Gundersen Lutheran has been working with City Brewery in La Crosse to use the beer maker's left over methane which is created during the brewing process. "This partnership is very unique and is something that could be replicated throughout the country. It's something that we hope to lead and teach others."

Zarecki says the process will create enough energy to power 280 homes and will reduce pollution by the equivalent of taking six hundred and seventy cars off the road. "We want to divert that gas, put it through some cleaning. It goes to an engine and that engine will run a generator. The electricity is then put to the grid as a clean renewable energy source."

Zarecki says the plan is to go green and help the public save some green when you have to visit your doctor. "Not only will this help reduce the cost of health care, but it's a clean renewable energy source that well help conserve resources for our environment."

Zarecki says the hospital is trying to reduce energy usage by 20% by the year 2014.