The paper discusses EPA's Camp Lejeune Energy from Wood (CLEW) project, a demonstration project that converts wood energy to electric power, and provides waste utilization and pollution alleviation. The 1-MWe plant operates a reciprocating engine-generator set on synthetic gas from a down-draft wood gasifier. The paper discusses operational characteristics, need modification, plant descriptions and performance data. The project was undertaken to demonstrate that small scale wood-to-electricity plants can provide: (1) reliable and commercially competitive power generation from a technology that has not yet been demonstrated at this scale; (2) a non-polluting energy source using renewable fuel without net generation of greenhouse gases; and (3) an economical alternative to landfilling wood residues, providing or supplementing power for government installations, industrial sites, rural cooperatives, small municipalities, and remote regions of developing countries.