A Voice In Salem

Power Plant — It's Time to 'Walk the Walk'

The time for talking is soon to end and results will be expected.

  Long before any of us were here, decisions were made concerning the waterfront.  Business, profit and employment were the impetus. Many generations of Salemites have lived with the results of those decisions.  More than 175 years later the main legacy of those who built the waterfront industries has been Shetland Park, the mess that is the North River, and the smokestacks of the power plant. It would seem that the third leg of that industrial triad is soon to be a thing of the past. There are few in Salem who do not have an opinion on what has transpired over the last few years in regards to the 60-acre site on Fort Avenue. No one loves it. Many love the jobs and tax revenue that it has generated. Lots of folks truly hate it. Some who …

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Richard

11:52 pm on Wednesday, August 8, 2012

You're right, you definitely don't want to mess with the Fed's, but the FERC filing seems to only deal with the current plant operation, so it probably doesn't lock them into anything else. If I'm doing the math right, I think Dominion may have actually paid Footprint to acquire the plant. In their second quarter earnings last week Dominion took a $27 million write down on Salem Harbor for the …   more ›

Keenan's Energy Bill Passes

Salem Harbor Power Station would be cleaned up by 2017 as a result of the passage.

Rep. John Keenan's energy bill was passed yesterday by the Legislature, according to the Salem News. The power plant will be cleaned up by the end of 2016 as a result of the passage, which requires that natural gas companies taking over a site would have to enter into an least 15-year contract after taking over sites like Salem Harbor Power Station, according to the outlet. Footprint Power of New Jersey is slated to take over the plant and the 60-acre property and intends to clean the site and provide power by 2016. What do you think of the passage? Do you agree with this legislation? Tell us in the comments.

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LETTER: Sen. Berry Shows Support for Energy Bill

Berry hopes bill will successfully transition coal plants (like Salem Harbor Power Station) to natural gas power.

Editor's Note: The following is courtesy of Sen. Fred Berry. The bill in question was briefly addressed on Salem Patch on Monday. Regarding the Energy Bill and Section 42 – Senator Fred Berry Recently the Salem News asked the candidates for my seat their opinion on Section 42 of the House of Representatives energy bill. As the sitting State Senator in the 2nd Essex district and Senate Majority Leader, I want to let your readers know that I fully support this section and that I applaud Chairman Keenan for his foresight in drafting this section to the House’s version of the energy bill.  Although the language of Section 42 did not appear in the Senate’s version of the bill I am strongly advocating for its inclusion in the final version that …

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john

6:41 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012

If you think the federal government doesn't control every single issue regarding energy,then you should consider your sources.   more ›

Berry Supports Natural Gas Bill

Bill would ensure a 15-year minimum for companies taking over coal plants.

Sen. Berry is supporting Rep. John Keenan's bill, which would mandate a contract minimum for natural gas companies planning to reclaim coal power plant sites, according to the Salem News. The outlet reports the bill would require natural gas companies enter into at least 15-year contracts after taking over sites like Salem Harbor Power Station, the outlet reports. The bill has not been met without opposition, according to the paper. Last month, Footprint Power of New Jersey announced its plans to bring natural gas power to Salem Harbor Power Station by 2016. The company also has plans to clean up the site.

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Whitney Harris

5:22 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012

It's the government enforced monopoly that is objectionable.   more ›

LETTER: Support Clean Energy and Elizabeth Warren

A reader weighs in on Salem Harbor Power Station and the Senate choice.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Ross Peterson. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Salem was one of the most important seaports in the world.  But in recent decades our rich maritime history has been overshadowed, both figuratively and literally, by the Salem Harbor Power Station. Smokestacks now stand where masts once did, and billowing sails have been replaced with clouds of toxic pollution. As we think about the future of the Salem plant, it is also important for us to consider the future of energy policy in the U.S. and what effect it will have on Massachusetts.  In the upcoming Senate election we have a choice between two very different candidates. One will continue to side with big oil and keep our energy policies …

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michael beaulieu

8:18 pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012

GO HUGE A TREE   more ›

Natural Gas Company to Acquire Salem Station

Pending regulatory approvals, Footprint Power will acquire Salem Harbor Power Station, remediate the site and build a natural gas plant.

A New Jersey company has signed an agreement with Dominion to take control of Salem Harbor Power Station, remediate the site and build a natural gas plant. The announcement from Footprint Power LLC came Friday, according to a press release. The coal-fired Salem Harbor Power Station owned by Virginia based Dominion is currently slated to close by June 1, 2014. Two units were reportedly retired in December 2011. Footprint's new "state-of-the-art natural-gas-fired power plant" will be built on one third of the 63-acre site and could start as a power supplier by 2016, according to the press release. The City has been working on its vision for the rest of the site, and has presented study plans in public meetings. The Salem Harbor Power Station…

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chester suchecki

12:23 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012

THE POWER PLANT HAS BEEN USING SALEM HARBOR FOR COOLING WATER FOR 60 YEARS WITH NO REAL ILL EFFECTS.   more ›

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Answers Still Needed on Salem Power Station Future

Becky Smith of Clean Water Action voices her concerns on the issue.

To the Editor: A Question of Power Not having resolution on the gnawing question of what to do with Dominion's soon-to-be-deserted Salem Harbor stacks is frustrating to everyone who’s been waiting patiently. The final “say” on whether Footprint Power buys a parcel of land from Dominion is between the two companies. The final “say” on how many municipal tax dollars may or may not be part of the deal to make it a profitable venture for a private company is in the hands of local officials. There needs to be a meaningful role carved out for the public as this moves forward. Once a deal has been reached and gets announced, it’s virtually too late to have any real input into shaping what will anchor Salem’s valuable waterfront for decades, or …

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Coal at Salem Power Ends in 2014

The Salem Harbor Power Station will stop burning coal in 2014, according to a story recently published in the Boston Globe.

After 2014, the Salem Harbor Power Station will never burn coal again, according to this story in the Boston Globe.  Dominion Energy Inc., the current owner of the power plant, reportedly reached a settlement earlier this week in a federal lawsuit with the Conservation Law Foundation and North Shore-based HealthLink. According to the Globe report, the agreement states that the plant can’t burn coal after 2014, the year Dominion was planning on shutting down the power plant anyway. The agreement also stipulates that "any potential buyer of the plant would also be unable to burn coal at the facility," according to the Globe.

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john

12:43 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012

I find it interesting when people use that line"if you don't like it run for office". It use to be, if you don't vote you have no right to complain. I have no desire to run for office nor do I need a job. Driscoll ran for mayor and won even though I voted against her. When elected she took an oath to be responsible to the taxpayers in the way she uses our money. I may be wrong but I think the …   more ›

Is Natural Gas a Suitable Replacement for the Power Plant?

After this week's announcement there is a potential buyer, we want to know what you think.

Salem Harbor Power Station may have a buyer interested in converting it to a natural gas plant, according to the Salem News. The plant is scheduled to close in 2014. A New Jersey Company, Footprint Power, which buys outdated fossil fuel plants is in talks with Dominion, the Virginia-based company that currently owns the plant, the Salem News reports. Footprint has filed with ISO New England for a permit to hook up to the region's grid by 2016. What do you think of these developments? Take our poll and let us know in the comments.

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