I was just eyeballing the McNeil website
https://
www.burlingtonelectric.com/page.php?pid=75&name=mcneil and learnt that they sometimes supplement the woodchips with natural gas in order to run the plant at full capacity. I wonder if this is a possibility for LLEG as well.
***
Does the McNeil Station use other fuel sources?
The Burlington Electric Commission accepted a proposal from Vermont Gas Systems in 1989 to supply gas to the McNeil Generating Station on an interruptible basis between May and November of each year. In October 1989, the capability to burn natural gas was added to the McNeil Station.
While wood remains the plant's primary fuel, the addition of gas allows McNeil to operate more frequently, making it more economical. The gas installation was completed by McNeil personnel on schedule and $200,000 under budget. McNeil employees received a tremendous amount of training by doing the installation. More than 2,000 feet of piping was purchased, installed, supported, welded, cleaned and tested, and 4 1/2 miles of wiring was installed and inspected. The final outcome was a well-operating system: plant efficiency at full load on gas is 15% better than when firing wood. The Station can also use fuel oil or any combination of wood, gas or oil for fuel.