Veristar Energy CHP project wins Midwest Inspiring Project Award

Veristar Energy and Black River Memorial Hospital won the 2026 Midwest Inspiring Project Award for a 260 kW combined heat and power installation in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. The project is cutting hospital operating costs by $70,000 a year while improving power resilience for critical care.

Why it matters: - The project shows how onsite power can help rural hospitals lower utility bills and reduce exposure to grid outages. - Black River Memorial Hospital says the system frees up money for patient care, technology and clinical services. - The installation also cuts carbon emissions and supports energy reliability for critical community infrastructure.

What happened: - Veristar Energy announced that its 260 kW combined heat and power project at Black River Memorial Hospital has won the 2026 Midwest Inspiring Project Award from the Midwest Cogeneration Association. - The hospital is part of Black River Health in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. - The award recognizes distributed energy and CHP systems across the Midwest that deliver design quality, cost and emissions reductions, and stronger resiliency.

The details: - Black River Health includes a 25-bed critical access hospital and two rural health centers. - The system serves 14,000 rural Wisconsin residents each year. - The hospital partnered with Veristar Energy to design an onsite power plant for 24/7 operations and to protect vital clinical equipment during local grid interruptions. - The installation uses four Capstone C65 microturbines with thermal recovery modules. - The project generates more than 2 million kWh of baseload electricity each year on-site. - The system recovers 1.6 MMBtu/hr of thermal energy from exhaust gas. - The recovered heat produces hot water for space heating and domestic hot water. - The project reduces local carbon emissions by 550 metric tons of CO₂ annually, equal to removing about 120 passenger cars from the road. - The project used a 40% Federal Investment Tax Credit to reduce upfront capital costs and improve payback. - Black River Health says the microturbine system delivers $70,000 in annual cost savings. - The hospital also cites ultra-quiet, oil-free operation and redundant backup capabilities. - The air-bearing microturbine design uses no liquid coolants or lubricants. - Veristar Energy described the system as a custom microturbine CHP solution that provides continuous, ultra-clean power and thermal output.

Between the lines: - Rural hospitals face a tougher math problem than large systems because they have smaller margins and less room to absorb utility volatility. - CHP can solve two problems at once by producing electricity and capturing waste heat that would otherwise be lost. - The award signals that Midwest energy groups are increasingly valuing resiliency projects, not just efficiency projects.

What's next: - Black River Memorial Hospital will continue operating the system as part of its everyday energy strategy. - Veristar Energy is positioning the project as a model for healthcare sustainability and operational stewardship across the Midwest. - The hospital and Veristar Energy will likely use the award to reinforce the case for onsite generation in other critical care facilities.

The bottom line: - The award recognizes a project that lowers costs, strengthens backup power and turns hospital energy use into a resilience asset.