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New England’s last coal plants set to shutter, ushering in era of green energy

New England’s last coal plants set to shutter, ushering in era of green energy

The final coal-fired power plants in New England are slated to shutter in the coming years, making it the second region to phase out the energy source that powered the U.S. economy for decades. In an announcement late last month, New Hampshire-based power provider Granite Shore Power said it had reached an agreement with federal officials to shutter its Schiller Station in 2025 and its Merrimack Station by mid-2028. The action underscores the region’s and, more broadly, the nation’s steady march toward a future dominated by green energy. Environmental activists have called for this change for years — energy advocates have warned against it. “Everybody in our region is finally going to be breathing cleaner air,” Johanna Neumann, the senior director of Environment America’s Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “I think the market has finally caught up to the reality — these coal plants are shutting down and being replaced with renewable energy infrastructure.” BIDEN ADMIN ISSUES ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESTRICTIONS ON KEY POWER GRID TECHNOLOGY Environmental activist organizations have for years sought to ensure the closure of both New Hampshire coal plants, arguing the facilities had contaminated nearby water sources while emitting large amounts of soot into the air, threatening public health.  The Sierra Club, one of those groups that pushed for the shutdown of the plants, applauded the announcement and noted it means New England is the second U.S. region after the Pacific Northwest to be coal-free. New Hampshire Sierra Club Senior Organizer Cathy Corkery said locals had “unjustly shouldered the burden of health and safety concerns” associated with the facilities. TRUCKERS CHALLENGE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER CLIMATE CRACKDOWN ON ELECTRIC BIG RIGS Together, the two facilities, which were first constructed roughly six decades ago, have a capacity of 560 megawatts, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. While the plants, and other coal stations in the region, once played a more central role in powering the grid, they have recently largely been inactive and used only in times of high demand or supply crunches. “From our earliest days as owners and operators, we have been crystal clear; while our power occasionally is still on during New England’s warmest days and coldest nights, we were firmly committed to transitioning our facilities away from coal and into a newer, cleaner energy future,” said Granite Shore Power CEO Jim Andrews. As part of the announcement, Andrews added that both coal plants will be redeveloped into the state’s first-of-their-kind “renewable energy parks.” Once they officially close, the sites will be converted by Granite Shore Power into solar and utility-scale energy storage facilities. In a statement, a spokesperson for Granite Shore Power said the company has been public about its intentions to transition its fleet away from coal for six years and that while that transition occurs, it will continue to support the regional grid. According to the spokesperson, the plans would include retaining workers at the Schiller and Merrimack sites and even increasing its overall workforce. “When it comes to clean energy, the message in America today is clear: companies want to develop it, investors want to finance it, and American consumers and businesses want to buy it,” said Ray Long, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy. “This historic agreement marks a significant step in the direction of America’s clean energy future.”  FEDERAL COURT STRIKES DOWN BIDEN’S CLIMATE RULE FOR STATES The American Clean Power Association, another group that advocates for green energy development, pointed to data showing most new electricity generation nationwide is green and has created thousands of new jobs.  However, the announcement that another U.S. region is on a glide path to a coal-free future earned heavy criticism from some experts who noted the importance of having baseload, dispatchable power generation. While renewable sources like wind and solar are intermittent, or heavily dependent on weather conditions, coal, natural gas and nuclear can quickly be turned on in times of high demand. According to the Energy Information Administration, coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants produce 49%, 54% and 93% of their listed capacity, respectively, while solar panels produce just 25% and wind turbines produce 34% of their listed capacity. INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL REJECTS AGGRESSIVE GREEN ENERGY HOME BUILDING CODE MANDATE “There’s a concerted effort to shift away from reliable sources of electricity generation to unreliable sources,” said Daren Bakst, director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment. “And ultimately the impact is going to be less reliable electricity, higher prices for Americans — it’s going to have a disproportionate impact on the poor.” “You have to be able to call upon electricity sources when you need it, and you need it to be able to have consistent electricity, to be able to flip on the switch. You can’t have that with intermittent sources. Right now, it’s impossible to have that,” Bakst continued. “Therefore, you need baseload electricity generation so that you can have consistent electricity when you need it.” JOE MANCHIN THREATENS TO OPPOSE BIDEN NOMINEES OVER UPCOMING POWER PLANT CRACKDOWN ISO-New England, the region’s independent grid operator, states on its website that coal is a critical tool in ensuring power “on the coldest winter days when natural gas supply is constrained.” It adds that inadequate infrastructure to transport natural gas — a major power source in New England — harms natural-gas-fired plants’ ability to get the fuel they need to perform, creating an “energy-security risk.” The operator declined to comment on Granite Shore Power’s coal plant closures. “The shutdown of Merrimack and Schiller Stations is a major step backwards for New England’s energy consumers, who need a mix of baseload energy sources, including coal, to ensure electric reliability,” Michelle Bloodworth, president and CEO of America’s Power, a coal power trade group, told Fox News Digital. “Their closure will leave families at greater risk of power outages and more dependent on natural gas, further exposing them to volatile electricity and natural gas prices,” she

‘Mission impossible’: Families slam Canada’s Gaza visa scheme as a failure

‘Mission impossible’: Families slam Canada’s Gaza visa scheme as a failure

Montreal, Canada – “Unlivable.” That’s how Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller, described the situation in the Gaza Strip in late December. The Palestinian territory was under fierce Israeli bombardment at the time. At least 20,000 people had been killed, and hunger was spreading at an alarming rate as Israel blocked deliveries of food, water and other necessities. As conditions continued to deteriorate, Miller announced that the Canadian government was launching a special visa programme to allow citizens and permanent residents to bring extended family members from Gaza to Canada. “To be clear, today is about providing a humanitarian pathway to safety and recognising the importance of keeping families together given the ongoing devastation,” he told reporters on December 21. But more than three months later, not a single Palestinian applicant has left the Gaza Strip as a result of the visa programme. That has fuelled a sense of anger and frustration for families who say Canada has abandoned them and their loved ones — and are demanding action from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government. Samar Alkhdour stands in front of Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller’s office in Montreal on March 29 [Jillian Kestler-D’Amours/Al Jazeera] “What are they waiting for?” asked Samar Alkhdour, a Palestinian mother who has lived in Canada since 2019 and received permanent residency in February. Alkhdour began a daily sit-in outside Miller’s office in Montreal, the second-largest city in Canada, late last month to put pressure on the government to get her relatives out of Gaza. She is trying to bring her sister, her sister’s husband and their two children — who are currently living with relatives in Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza — to Montreal to join her and her family. But the family’s applications remain in the early stages of the process, Alkhdour told Al Jazeera. “I’m still fighting, I’m working on it,” she said in late March at the sit-in, a black-and-white keffiyeh draped over her shoulders. “But deep down inside, in my heart, I’m starting to lose hope. “And maybe that’s one reason I’m here — because no one’s doing nothing.” Adblock test (Why?)

Amid diplomatic spat, Mexico grants former Ecuadorian vice president asylum

Amid diplomatic spat, Mexico grants former Ecuadorian vice president asylum

Amid a developing diplomatic spat, Mexico has granted asylum to a former Ecuadorian vice president accused of bribery while in office. In a statement on Friday, Mexico’s foreign ministry said it had offered political asylum to Jorge Glas, who has been staying in Mexico’s embassy in Quito since late last year. The statement called on Quito to grant “safe passage” to Glas, who had twice been convicted of corruption, to leave the country. “Once asylum is granted, the asylum state can request the departure of the asylum seeker to a foreign territory, and the territorial state [Ecuador] is obliged to immediately grant the corresponding person safe passage,” Mexico’s foreign ministry wrote. The ministry also condemned what it described as an “increase in the presence of Ecuadorian police forces” outside of its embassy in Quito. Ecuadorean authorities have continually sought permission to enter the embassy and arrest Glas, who was sentenced to six years in prison in 2017. The announcement has come at a moment of heightened tension for the two countries. On Thursday, Ecuador declared Mexico’s ambassador a “persona non grata”, in response to comments made by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. What did Lopez Obrador say? The remarks that set off the diplomatic incident were aired on Wednesday, during Lopez Obrador’s daily news briefing. Speaking to reporters, the left-leaning Mexican president implied that violence had affected the outcome of Ecuador’s recent presidential elections. “In a very strange way, there were elections in Ecuador,” Lopez Obrador explained. He then proceeded to address the assassination of Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio in August 2023, weeks before the first round of voting. Lopez Obrador implied that frontrunner Luisa Gonzalez ultimately lost Ecuador’s election because of Villavicencio’s murder and the media speculation it produced. Villavicencio had been a longtime anticorruption campaigner and was a vocal critic of Gonzalez’s left-wing party, the Citizen Revolution Movement. “A male candidate who speaks ill of the female candidate who was on top is suddenly murdered,” Lopez Obrador said, without naming either Villavicencio or Gonzalez. “And the female candidate who was at the top falls.” In the run-off vote in October, Gonzalez narrowly lost the Ecuadorian presidency to centre-right businessman Daniel Noboa, a relative newcomer to national politics and the heir to a banana industry fortune. What was the reaction? The Ecuadorian foreign ministry followed Lopez Obrador’s statements on Thursday by declaring Mexico’s ambassador to Ecuador, Raquel Serur Smeke, persona non grata and telling her to leave the country “soon”. It also acknowledged Villavicencio’s assassination, which took place outside of a political rally in Quito on August 9. “Ecuador is still mourning this unfortunate event that caused shock in Ecuadorian society and threatens democracy, peace and security,” the ministry wrote. It also called Lopez Obrador’s statements on the matter “unfortunate”. Supporters of the Mexican president, however, defended his remarks, saying that he was attempting to compare the situation in Ecuador to the recent violence Mexico has faced in the run-up to its June 2 elections. Several local candidates in Mexico have already been killed, including Bertha Gisela Gaytan, a candidate representing Lopez Obrador’s Morena party in the race to be mayor of Celaya. Critics have also pointed out that Lopez Obrador’s statements appeared to be largely critical of the media. In his Wednesday remarks, Lopez Obrador accused media companies of whipping up a “heated atmosphere” in Ecuador before the vote. On Friday, Lopez Obrador said Mexico would not expel Ecuador’s ambassador in retaliation. Speaking shortly before his foreign ministry made the announcement on Glas, he shrugged off the suggestion that there was any dispute between the two countries. “For there to be a fight, there need to be two parties involved,” he said. He also called Mexico’s ambassador to Ecuador, Serur Smeke, an “exceptional person”. Known for his outspokenness, Lopez Obrador has spurred tensions in recent years with his comments about regional politics. Last year, for instance, he provoked ire in Peru after offering asylum to impeached former President Pedro Castillo, who is currently in jail. He also questioned the legitimacy of Castillo’s successor, current President Dina Boluarte. “So long as there isn’t democratic normalcy in Peru, we don’t want economic or trade relations with them,” he said. Peru’s Congress responded by declaring Lopez Obrador a “persona non grata”. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Fishing’: Judge denies Trump team bid to seize NBC Stormy Daniels material

‘Fishing’: Judge denies Trump team bid to seize NBC Stormy Daniels material

Judge Juan Merchan criticised the defence team’s attempt to compel NBC to turn over documents related to Stormy Daniels. A New York Judge has blocked an attempt by Donald Trump‘s lawyers to force the NBC news network to turn over materials related to a recent documentary about adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The ruling on Thursday by Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan comes shortly before a trial related to both Trump and Daniels is set to start on April 15. In New York, Trump – the former United States president – faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for alleged hush money payments he made to Daniels and others. Marchan called the Trump team’s efforts to subpoena NBC “the very definition of a fishing expedition”. The request, he said, did not meet the heavy legal burden needed to require a news organisation to provide unrestricted access to its reporting. The ruling is the latest setback for Trump, who is set to be officially named the Republican Party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential race. He faces four separate criminal cases, with the New York trial the first to begin. The case centres on allegations that Trump falsified his company’s internal records to hide the true nature of the hush money payments, made during the 2016 presidential campaign. The payments were made through his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who allegedly helped bury negative stories about Trump, a presidential hopeful at the time. Among other payments, Cohen offered Daniels $130,000 to suppress her claims of an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Daniels is set to be a key prosecution witness in the trial. On Wednesday, Merchan also rejected a request from the defence team to delay the trial until the US Supreme Court rules on claims of presidential immunity claims Trump has made in a separate case. Merchan said the request was untimely. Trump’s lawyers had previously failed to block Cohen and Daniels from testifying in the trial. The New York indictment was the first of the four criminal cases against Trump to be announced. After the history-making indictment in March of last year, Trump pleaded not guilty to the 34 felony counts. His lawyers had argued the payments were legitimate legal expenses. The former president has also denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Trump’s lawyers had subpoenaed NBC Universal on March 11. They sought all documents related to the production, editing, marketing and release of the documentary, as well as any compensation Daniels received and any agreements between her and the network. The lawyers argued the subpoena would yield evidence that NBC Universal and Daniels colluded to release the documentary close to the start of the trial to bias the public and increase profits. NBC had denied those claims. In the four-page decision, Judge Merchan wrote that the defence subpoena was “far too broad” and that its collusion claims were “purely speculative and unsupported” by evidence. Merchan added the subpoena sought to “rifle through the privileged documents of a news organization”. In addition to the New York state hush money case, Trump also faces two federal criminal cases. One, in Florida, is for allegedly hoarding classified documents after leaving office. The other, in Washington, DC, accuses him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential elections. He faces a fourth criminal case in Georgia for efforts to overturn election results in that state too. Adblock test (Why?)