Thanks to substantial lobbying by the Sierra Club and other environmental and public interest groups, the Logan and Chambers coal-fired plants in Gloucester and Salem counties are now history. In December 2022, Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz and Sierra Club New Jersey Director Anjuli Ramos-Busot bore witness to the dramatic demolition of the Logan facility.
Both plants were shuttered at the end of the summer, and energy obtained from a less polluting source could result in net CO2 emissions reduction of 3.9 million tons over three years, according to a report by FTI Consulting.
Also significant is that the replacement energy will be cheaper, resulting in up to $30 million in ratepayer savings through 2024. Starwood Energy Group Global, the owner of the plants, says it will redevelop the sites with a clean energy focus. Particularly, $1 billion will be invested to develop a battery power storage operation at the Logan Township site.
Solar cells and wind turbines produce electricity only when there is sunlight or the wind is blowing, and often this energy production does not coincide with demand, so batteries are required to store it for use when needed. Logan will be among the largest energy storage projects in the state.
The electricity storage center will be hooked up to the power transmission lines from New Jersey’s nascent offshore wind industry.
The Logan and Chambers plants were the last active coal-fired plants in New Jersey. Logan and Chambers were “peaker plants” that operated when the grid needed extra support during periods of high demand. Energy from the plants was distributed by Atlantic City Electric, whose rates left its customers paying more for electricity than other energy consumers in New Jersey.
“The Logan demolition marks the end of the coal era in New Jersey and a major step towards the state’s clean energy future,” Cruz said. “Battery storage will play an instrumental role in bolstering a clean grid, all without polluting our air or endangering the health of vulnerable communities. Sierra Club encourages other states to follow this example.”