New England's last coal plant has stopped operating, according to its owners
2 days ago
- #renewable-energy
- #New-England
- #coal-phaseout
- Merrimack Station, the last coal-fired power plant in New England, ceased operations on September 12th.
- New England is now the first U.S. region without a coal plant on its grid, though New York stopped burning coal in 2020.
- Granite Shore Power, the owner, had planned to retire the plant by 2028 as part of a settlement with environmental groups.
- The plant still has two kerosene-fired generators that will continue running.
- Merrimack Station and Schiller Station were the last two coal-fired plants connected to New England’s grid; Schiller hasn’t burned coal since 2020.
- Coal accounted for only 0.22% of New England’s power in 2024, and the grid operator says reliability isn’t affected by the closure.
- Bow, NH, where Merrimack Station is located, relied heavily on tax revenue from the plant, leading to low tax rates and residential development.
- The town and plant owners had a years-long conflict over property taxes, resulting in a lawsuit and financial impact on Bow.
- Bow has tried to diversify its economy with commercial developments, but the plant’s closure was still a surprise.
- Granite Shore Power plans to redevelop the site into a 'renewable energy park' with solar and batteries, excluding natural gas for now.
- Nationally, coal is declining, making up 16% of U.S. power in 2023, but some plants are delaying retirements.
- The Trump Administration has pushed to expand coal, including funding modernizations and relaxing environmental rules.
- Climate advocates argue coal is economically and environmentally unsustainable, despite political efforts to revive it.