As both of New Hampshire’s coal plants prepare to close, New England emerges as the second coal-free region in the US.
This transition comes after a settlement agreement reached between Sierra Club, The Conservation Law Foundation, EPA, and Granite Shore Power. The Bow, New Hampshire-based power station has committed to retiring the coal-burning units at Merrimack and Schiller Stations in New Hampshire by 2028 and 2025, respectively.
The Schiller Station (pictured), located on the coast, will undergo a transformation into a solar and battery storage facility, playing a crucial role in maintaining reliability during peak hours and storing energy from wind farms being established off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and in the Gulf of Maine.
With these closures, New Hampshire will become the 16th coal-free state, making New England the second entirely coal-free region in the country, following the Pacific Northwest.
Gina McCarthy, Bloomberg Philanthropies senior advisor and former White House national climate advisor, expressed, “Today’s announcement signifies the culmination of efforts to replace coal, a dirty, expensive, and unreliable energy source, with cleaner alternatives that are better for the economy, health, and the planet.”
By shutting down all eight coal plants in the region, 2.9 gigawatts of coal energy will be eliminated, resulting in a reduction of 15.6 million tons of carbon emissions in New England. This reduction is equivalent to removing more than 3.1 million cars from the roads for a year. Additionally, there are plans for nearly 33 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects in New England.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Carbon initiative and the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign have successfully led to the retirement of 72% of coal-fired power plants in the US, totaling 381 out of 530 plants.
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