What is the scrubber and how does it affect you?

Pro Issue Opinion by Mary Beth Walz, proceed with the scrubber and other changes at the Bow power plant:

The 2006 law requires PSNH to install the scrubber and PSNH must comply with state law:

Businesses and homes need electricity on demand:

• Base load generation, such as coal and nuclear plants, provide the backbone of our energy supply because they run when we need them, and can be put in service on demand. Emerging technologies, such as wind and solar power, will play and expanding role in meeting energy needs, but until they can be dispatched on demand the reliable generation from Merrimack Station is needed.

The scrubber is state of the art technology that will create important environmental benefits:

• Mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin, will be reduced by over 80%. Less mercury in the air and water will be safer for people, and especially for pregnant women and children. Sulfur dioxide will be reduced by over 90%. Less sulfuric acid in the atmosphere reduces acid rain. Reduced mercury and sulfur emissions will promote healthier bodies of water, plant life and wildlife.

The scrubber project will create jobs:

• The project will generate over 300 temporary construction jobs. It will also create 5-10 new permanent jobs and preserve 100 existing jobs during a time of economic recession.

The plant will produce reliable electricity:

• Even with the cost of the scrubber factored in, ratepayers can expect the plant to produce energy at competitive rates over its expected life. Coal is a low-cost fuel for electricity generation, enabling PSNH to keep its rates competitive. To ensure price stability, our power supply should include a mix of fuel sources. Coal is less vulnerable to spikes in prices and fuel shortage than other fuels such as natural gas and oil and a proven, economical source of power.

All sides were represented in the decision to build the scrubber:

• The decision to build the scrubber was the product of a collaborative process with a diverse mix of interested parties. When the law mandating the scrubber was enacted, environmental groups, such as the N.H. Audubon Society and the N.H. Lakes Association, helped draft the law. They, along with the Society to Protection of N.H. Forests and the N.H. Timberland Owners, hailed the law as an example of the positive results that can be achieved when the environmental community and business interests work together to improve the environment.

Ratepayers could incur significant costs if the project is cancelled:

• Ending the construction would leave ratepayers liable for claims by PSNH for costs incurred thus far, without receiving a corresponding benefit. Because law mandated that the scrubber be built, PSNH will seek to recover everything spent on the project. IF the project were shut down now, that claim would be for approximately $250 million.