Note that if you purchase something via one of our links, including Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
The Merrimack and Schiller Stations in New Hampshire are set to permanently cease operations following lengthy negotiations between the Sierra Club, The Conservation Law Foundation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. According to a press release from the Sierra Club, the milestone commitment from Granite Shore Power ensures that New England will be coal-free by 2028. In total, 560 megawatts of coal power are set to go offline. By 2028, New Hampshire will be the sixteenth coal-free state in the country and the twelfth to go coal-free since the Beyond Coal campaign launched in 2010. New England will be the nation’s second entirely coal-free region, following the Pacific Northwest. Both power stations plan to convert their coal-burning plants into solar farms and battery storage for offshore wind — the first renewable energy park of its kind in the state.
According to the press release, the 460 MW Merrimack Station has had an outsized impact on local air and water quality. In February 2023, the coal plant’s particulate matter emissions allegedly exceeded EPA limits by 70 percent, according to the New Hampshire Department of Environment Services. A successful smoke stack retest has not been completed since and, according to DES, Merrimack Station is currently not in compliance with EPA standards. Granite Shore Power will commit to shutting down coal-fired generators at the Schiller Station in Portsmouth by 2025. Currently, that plant has the capability to burn coal but hasn’t used its coal-fired generation since 2020.
