New England’s last coal plant passed an emissions test. But part of it still needs repairs.
10-29-2024
New England’s last running coal-fired power plant, Merrimack Station in Bow, passed an emissions test over the summer that it struggled to complete for more than a year. But only one of its two units that generate electricity completed the test, raising questions about how the plant will operate over the winter and in the years until it’s scheduled to stop burning coal.
As the weather gets colder, the role of Merrimack Station comes into focus for many in the region. The plant in the past has billed itself as something like a security blanket for the electric grid; it is expected to provide power when the region demands more energy than usual resources can provide, like on very cold or very hot days.
