For nearly three quarters of a century, Merrimack Station in Bow and Schiller Station in Portsmouth have reliably served the energy needs of families and businesses across New Hampshire. These facilities keep folks warm on our coldest nights and cool during our hottest days, by burning coal. These two stations, however, have not operated as baseload generation for more than a decade. In fact, in recent years Merrimack Station has been a limited part of New Hampshire’s energy infrastructure. From our earliest days as owners and operators at Granite Shore Power, we have been crystal clear; we were fully committed to transitioning our facilities away from coal and into a newer, cleaner energy future for the New England region. And that is precisely what we did last week. In keeping our promise, Granite Shore Power will voluntarily cease coal-fired operations at Merrimack Station, New England’s last remaining coal-fired power plant, as well as Schiller Station. The historic agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) paves the way for first-of-their-kind “Renewable Energy Parks” in the state of New Hampshire. That’s right. Coal is being replaced by solar power, clean hydrogen, green biofuels, and battery storage. Our facilities are ideally situated near the infrastructure necessary to transition the region to the next generation of energy resources. The transformation of these power plants into new, clean energy facilities will facilitate exciting new economic growth at each location. Just like we have promised for the past six years. The New Hampshire Seacoast is an area of high-energy demand. By repowering Schiller Station to a battery storage system, we will provide carbon neutral power to reliably support the peak energy demands of New Hampshire every single day. Importantly, this will also provide storage for the wind power being built off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and in the Gulf of Maine. Our change will make wind power a reality in New Hampshire. Merrimack Station will continue to be a vital resource when energy demands are at their highest. We will redevelop nearly 400 acres of land into a clean energy center for generations to come. The continued shift toward a more electrified economy in New England makes developing reliable, affordable on-demand generation resources more important than ever. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has been key to spurring transition projects like these. New Hampshire will now be at the forefront of building a clean energy economy with the continued support of federal, state, and local leaders. We believe we’re living up to the good, bipartisan work of these thoughtful leaders with our work. And, with the continued support of state, federal and local officials in the months and years to come, the redevelopment of both Merrimack and Schiller will succeed, and we will better utilize the interconnection at these facilities while advancing the region’s overall generation mix. This voluntary agreement by our company is a significant accomplishment in driving clean energy forward. It took the rejection of rhetoric, a focus on facts and a commitment to shared objectives for this energy transition. We are proud of the role we have played in providing a safe and reliable energy bridge and are excited for this next chapter of clean energy infrastructure.
Originally published by the Seacoastonline New Hampshire has new opportunities to lead on energy policy that promotes jobs, economic development, and reliable clean energy. For decades, New Hampshire has relied on aging energy resources and insufficient diversity of generation resources for reliability while electric rates continue to increase for ratepayers due to extreme weather events and turmoil in world markets. There has been too little investment to drive new technologies in our state. The recent news announced by Granite Shore Power — owner of the state’s last remaining coal plants — that it was forging ahead with the voluntary closure of Schiller and Merrimack stations to launch a massive new investment in clean energy parks is welcome news. The recent unprecedented step by Granite Shore Power to end coal-burning operations and build sustainable energy facilities in their place will make New Hampshire a national leader in clean energy production. It will have transformational effects on New Hampshire’s energy resilience with less costly clean energy. This news is especially timely given the availability of federal funding and the planning by the New Hampshire Department of Energy to move New Hampshire forward on clean energy and energy efficiency. As members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and chair of the New Hampshire Commission on Offshore Wind and Port Development, we know that good policy and a regulatory environment that supports private investment are essential for New Hampshire’s energy future. Granite Shore Power’s decision to proactively transition two major coal-burning stations to environmentally safe power production alternatives is private sector leadership. It is something that all residents of our state, as well as leaders from both sides of the aisle, should support now and in the months to come. Schiller Station will be converted into a battery storage facility, taking energy from the grid during low demand and putting it back on the grid during peak periods. Schiller’s strategic location on the Seacoast will allow it to capture offshore wind power from Martha’s Vineyard and the Gulf of Maine, meaning the plant will be replacing coal power with renewable battery power. And this is just a start for Granite Shore Power. The success of offshore wind and potential clean hydrogen energy development need to be coupled with battery storage, solar energy, and grid modernization. The Granite Shore Power proposals provide key features for a successful development of new power sources to provide clean, lower cost energy for New Hampshire homes and businesses. Merrimack Station will be converted to a Renewable Energy Park — the first of its kind in our state’s history. GSP will redevelop the power plant’s nearly 400 acres to facilitate multiple sources of clean energy manufacturing including a solar farm, battery storage, green biodiesel, and hydrogen that can link to an existing natural gas pipeline. In addition to lowering emissions and providing families and businesses with more cost-effective energy, the construction and operation of two state-of-the-art renewable energy parks will add untold numbers of jobs to the state and local economies. Granite Shore Power will count on us all to support the development of these massive projects. The positive impact these transformative projects will have not only on the grid, but on our economy cannot be overstated. For years we have hoped for the promise of policy and power companies making clean energy a reality. Granite Shore Power is delivering on those promises. New Hampshire state Sen. Kevin Avard, District 12, is chairman Senate Energy & Natural Resources. State Sen. David Watters, District 4, is ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources
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