UTICA - While many were pushing down the levers at the election booths, others were pushing down shovels...at the groundbreaking for the Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare and Utica College Co-Generation Plant.

Utica College, Burrstone Energy Center, and Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare have teamed up to "Go Green" and construct a combined heat and power co-generation facility on the Faxton-St. Luke's Campus.

Now what does that mean exactly?

The co-generation facility will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. provide more reliable services for hospital patients and college students, and significantly reduce the demand each institution places on the local utility grid.

It will also allow the hospital and the college to act as shelters in the event of power outages. The system not only meets the combined energy requirements of both Faxton-St. Luke's and Utica College, but does so at an efficiency level that is much higher than either institution could achieve on their own...all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the environment...not to mention, reducing costs.

"This project...between the low cost electricity and the recovery of the thermal waste heat, will provide an annual cost avoidance for both entities of over half a million dollars a year," said Steve Brown, vice-president of clinical operations with Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare.

The $13 million project not only meets the combined energy requirements of both Faxton-St. Luke's and Utica College, but does so at an efficiency level that is much higher than either institution could achieve on their own...all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the environment.

Officials in charge say the plant should be up and operational by the first of 2008.

You can find more stories about "Going Green" at our NBC "Green is Universal" section