Recently, Massachusetts announced its choice of Vineyard Wind to build an 800-megawatt wind farm 15 miles off the coast of the Vineyard.
Rhode Island already has an offshore wind farm, and many other countries have them (UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, Poland) . New Hampshire would benefit from offshore wind. In order to get offshore wind, Gov. Chris Sununu needs to ask the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to form a task force.
Offshore wind is good for New Hampshire for the following reasons:
The coastal wind of New Hampshire provides capacity to produce almost 2,500 Megawatts of energy. That’s enough to provide most NH homes with electricity!
Technology has advanced and costs of generating electricity from wind have declined.
The ability to rely on LOCAL power (the turbines woudl be 12 miles off the coast – can’t see them, but much closer than hydro from Canada or fracked gas from Pennsylvania).
Local jobs and economic benefit.
It’s renewable and clean.
A legislative study in 2014 already recommended the task force, but nothing has been done. Offshore wind is such a good idea that 20 towns across the state have already passed resolutions or warrant articles asking the governor to convene the task force. But still he has not. The time is now, before we fall behind our New England neighbors. Please call or write to Gov. Sununu and ask him to convene a task force to study offshore wind.