Commentary: Granite Shore Power upholds promise to transition coal power to clean energy

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 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 advancingthe 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.

Jim Andrews is chief executive officer of Granite Shore Power.