With woodchips in the burner, college cuts costs and pollution - Boston.com

With woodchips in the burner, college cuts costs and pollution - Boston.com:
by Adam Gorlick, AP -- 11/27/2005
"Gardner, Mass -- Although some were worried that burning 1,000 tons of woodchips wouldn't generate enough energy to heat the 500,000-square-foot campus, their doubts melted away when the system worked and heating costs plunged with winter temperatures.
Instead of shelling out nearly a half million dollars for electric heat, the college paid a mere $31,000 for the woodchips. The savings is so great that school officials say the $2 million heating system conversion cost will pay for itself within 10 years.
At the same time, Mount Wachusett has so far reduced its greenhouse gas emissions -- a polluted mix mostly containing carbon dioxide -- by nearly 19 percent."