From Garbage to Green Energy: UVM Medical Center Commits to Using Renewable Fuel Through Innovative Vermont Gas Program
Energy Produced at Canadian Landfill Tapped to Power Doctor’s Offices
The University of Vermont Medical Center has become one of the first participants in the Vermont Gas Renewable Natural Gas Program, which is currently capturing methane from a landfill in Quebec. The hospital has committed to purchasing renewable natural gas equal to 50% of its regular usage at several local doctor’s offices and other locations. These facilities will move to 100% renewable natural gas in 2019. The program is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 1170 metric tons over the next 12 months, equivalent to removing 251 cars from the road for a year.
“Using this alternative to fossil fuels allows us to reduce our carbon footprint and continue on our mission to be a leader in sustainable health care,” said Ashley Bond, manager of Property and Real Estate Services at the UVM Medical Center. “Teaming up with Vermont Gas was a natural choice because we have the peace of mind of energy reliability.”
Several UVM Medical Center offices and properties are currently enrolled in the Vermont Gas Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program, including:
- Health Centers at Blair Park, Williston
- Dialysis, South Burlington
- Family Medicine, Milton
- Family Medicine, Hinesburg
- Adult & Family Medicine, South Burlington
- Distribution Center, Williston
“Vermont Gas is excited to partner with UVM Medical Center to help the organization reduce its environmental impact through this innovative new program,” said Tom Murray, vice president of Customers and Communities at Vermont Gas. “Together, we are making Vermont a healthier place.”
While the program currently sources RNG from the Quebec landfill, Vermont Gas plans to add new local sources, including a farm digester in Salisbury, Vermont, as well as a new RNG plant in Canada. Farm digesters that break down manure and food scraps offer the added environmental benefit of reducing phosphorous runoff into Vermont’s streams, rivers and lakes.
Vermont Gas’ Renewable Natural Gas Program began in April 2018 when the company became the first natural gas utility in the United States to offer RNG to its retail customers. The program enables customers to purchase renewable attributes of RNG for a portion or all of their natural gas usage. The gas is comingled in the system, and customers pay to support RNG production in a similar manner to renewable electricity.
For more information visit https://www.vermontgas.com/renewablenaturalgas
You can learn more about the UVM Medical Center’s efforts to become the most environmentally responsible health care organization in the nation here.
About the University of Vermont Medical Center
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a 447-bed tertiary care regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center. The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of The University of Vermont Health Network, an integrated system established to deliver high quality academic medicine to every community we serve.
For more information visitour Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSocialMedia.