In another win for the climate movement in the US, our affiliate 350 New Hampshire (350 NH) helped shut down New England’s last remaining coal plant in March 2024, marking a definitive move to renewables. After five years of relentless pressure from direct action and lawsuits from 350NH and allies, Granite Shore Power, the company behind the project, was forced to end its coal project by 2028 and repurpose the former coal plant into clean energy parks.
Rebecca Beaulieu, Communications Director at 350NH, grew up in Massachusetts where she saw (and breathed) the dirty smoke coming from a nearby coal power plant. When Massachustts finally closed that plant, her community fought hard for a transition to clean energy, only to see the plant site converted to a gas plant. This personal connection makes the victory against coal all the more meaningful for Rebecca.
“This win happened in a region where the local government didn’t even acknowledge the coal problem, so it shows why local public pressure is so important. It’s very exciting to see that this coal plant now has a real end date, and that it doesn’t involve other fossil fuels.”
Rebecca joined 350NH when the No Coal No Gas campaign launched and has been involved since the beginning. She’s even been arrested at Granite’s coal plant during a civil disobedience action. Over the years, 350NH has shown that New Hampshire doesn’t need coal, oil, or gas for its energy needs. They won a major campaign to bring offshore wind to the coast and stopped a proposed fracked gas pipeline and storage tank. These victories paved the way for freeing the state from coal.
“The fight is not over, though”, Rebecca says. “Here at 350NH we will keep pressure up to ensure that the future of this site is not only clean, but also respectful to the communities around it”.
This is a story from 350.org’s 2024 Annual Report