Here's a new twist on distributed energy. IST Energy in Massachusetts is plugging a new device called the Green Energy Machine that turns the garbage at hospitals and industrial parks into heat and energy, according to Martin Lamonica at News.com. The unit converts the trash into a synthetic gas and then into usable power. The company claims it can convert 95 percent of the waste -- up to three tons of trash a day -- into usable energy. Three tons of trash is enough to power a 200,000 square foot building with 500 employees. Put another way, that's 12 pounds of crud per employee. Theoretically, this works on a couple of levels. It gets rid of trash, reduces landfill, and cuts down on hauling fees. It also cuts back on the need for fossil fuels. Is it economical? IST says yes, but trash-to-fuel companies have been stumped by the numbers before. That's why companies like Ze-Gen are getting interest from VCs. The company's process -- which involves dipping garbage into vats of molten iron -- can get around some of the economic difficulties of exploiting trash as a source of fuel. The GEM unit costs $850,000 and can pay for itself in three to four years, the company says, and you get credits. Customer trials over the next few years will make their case.