Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., will be able to operate for 30 days if the power goes out when a new power plant project is finished, according to an article on the WAMC website.
Baystate currently can operate its emergency room, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac intervention center and other healthcare services critical to the region for four days if the power goes out in Springfield.
The new $27 million cogeneration plant will use a natural gas combustion turbine to generate electricity and the steam that comes as a byproduct is used to heat the hospital. The plant will provide the hospital with roughly 80 percent of its electricity usage.
The expected energy cost savings of close to $3 million annually comes at a time when Baystate has been tightening its belt. More than 300 employees were laid off last month due to a round of budget cuts.
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