From the forests of the North Country to the technology-base of the southern tier, New Hampshire has enormous potential for clean power that is environmentally friendly, safe for public health, and capable of moving us away from our dependence on dirty fossil fuels.
This year, Public Services of New Hampshire (PSNH), under order from the state Legislature, has begun to invest ratepayer money into a scrubber for the Merrimack Station coal-fired power plant that will keep the plant online indefinitely without making any significant pollution reductions. Even with this scrubber, the plant will remain the single largest emitter of global warming pollution in the state and will continue to pollute New Hampshire’s air and water with toxic pollutants.
Instead of investing ratepayer money into a scrubber that won’t even bring the Merrimack Station plant into compliance with environmental standards, this money should be put toward alternative energy sources such as wind and biomass that will help boost New Hampshire’s economy and create jobs for people all around the state.
This session, the New Hampshire Legislature will be considering a bill that will halt construction of the scrubber and require the Public Utilities Commission to conduct a study on the clean energy alternatives to the Merrimack Station scrubber. Unfortunately, PSNH is gearing up to start construction on the scrubber in the next year and is lobbying hard to keep the project on track. That’s why we need your help this spring in calling on the state legislature to require a study of the clean energy alternatives to this scrubber.
