Last coal-burning power plant in New England to close in win for environmentalists

Source: NBC10 Boston/AP

Published 33 mins ago • Updated 3 mins ago


The last coal-fired power plant in New England, which had been the focus of a lawsuit and protests, is set to close in a victory for environmentalists. Granite Shore Power said Wednesday it reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to close the Merrimack Station in New Hampshire by June 2028. As part of the deal, the company said the site will be turned into the state’s first renewable energy park that host solar power and batter storage systems. The company also said it would shutter Schiller Station in Portsmouth in December 2025.

That facility, which is permitted to use oil, coal and biomass, has not operated for several years. “From our earliest days as owners and operators, we have been crystal clear; while our power occasionally is still on during New England’s warmest days and coldest nights, we were firmly committed to transitioning our facilities away from coal and into a newer, cleaner energy future," Jim Andrews, CEO of Granite Shore Power, said in a statement. “By pursuing and ultimately entering into this voluntary agreement with the EPA, we are keeping that commitment.”

The 460-megawatt station in Bow has long been a thorn in the side of environmental groups. Most recently, the Sierra Club and the Conservation Law Foundation filed a lawsuit against plant owners, alleging it was violating the Clean Water Act. The plant was owned by Eversource until 2018, when it was sold to Connecticut-based Granite Shore Power. Both were named as defendants.

The environmental groups claimed the plant draws about 287 million gallons of water per day from the Merrimack River, heats that water as a result of its cooling process, and then discharges the water back into the river at temperatures that often exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Read more: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/merrimack-station-in-bow-nh-set-to-close-in-2028/3322123/