Part of a Sustainable Future for New Hampshire

Offshore wind is the largest potential component for a safe, secure, and sustainable energy future in New Hampshire—free of the economic, environmental, and public health threats posed by fossil fuel and nuclear power pollution.

The Seacoast Anti-Pollution League has been actively researching wind potential and conducting outreach to community groups and organizations, and we’re very optimistic about the progress being made.

SAPL is also a key member of WindASSIST – an alliance of local and statewide groups promoting the transition of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard into a wind turbine research, fabrication, and maintenance facility.

America's first offshore wind farm started creating clean, renewable energy in 2016. Photo credit Deepwater Wind

NH STUDY ON WIND POWER

In 2014, SAPL initiated a state legislative study on the potential of offshore wind. The study involved several experts in the fields of energy and engineering in addition to state legislators, and it concluded that the wind resource off of New Hampshire’s coast has real potential to generate significant amounts of electricity. This potential is even greater if we consider collaborating with neighboring states. Here is an excerpt:

…it is clear that our neighbors to the north and the south are making serious efforts to develop the [offshore wind] industry. Massachusetts is one of the leaders in the country at the moment in this regard. It therefore behooves New Hampshire to become more involved in this potentially significant area of economic growth...

You can read the full findings and recommendations of the study in the Report of the Committee to Study Offshore Wind Energy and the Development of Other Ocean Power Technology.

2023 NH Dept of Energy Report: Wind in the Gulf of Maine

In 2023, the New Hampshire Department of Energy concluded that offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine has the potential to produce enough power to fully meet the needs of New England states for nearly 40% of the year and that 3,600 jobs could be created in New Hampshire alone. Read the full report »

BOEM DESIGNATES HUGE WIND AREA IN THE GULF AND CONDUCTS LEASE SALE

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has designated about 2 million acres for wind farm development – twice the size of Long Island, New York – with potentially enough space to generate 32 Gigawatts of power, more than ALL of New England has ever needed and equivalent to about two dozen Seabrook plants!

As you can see on the maps below, there is still area available and that future lease sales are expected (meaning more power potential) in coming years.  You can learn more and follow updates on BOEM’s Gulf of Maine web page

Gulf of Maine Wind Energy Area (WEA)
Gulf of Maine Final Lease Areas

BOEM is finalizing the four Gulf of Maine lease sales, after which companies will begin studying their lease areas for future wind farm deployments over the next decadeWhat’s Happening Right Now

  • BOEM is finalizing the four Gulf of Maine lease sales (image right), after which companies will begin studying their lease areas for future wind farm deployments over the next decade
  • The State of Maine is moving forward with a full-scale floating turbine pilot project and a “research array” of a dozen floating turbines to study environmental impacts, and it has committed to provide 3,000 Megawatts (MW) of offshore wind power by 2040. That’s more than the total electricity that the state of Maine currently uses.
  • The Biden Administration/US Department of Energy has set a goal for the United States to generate 30,000 MW of offshore wind power by 2030 and 45,000 MW by 2035.
  • Offshore wind turbine technology has come a long way. The latest designs feature floating turbines which allow for greater power production, cheaper construction and installation, placement further offshore, and much less interference with marine and bird life.
  • European and Asian countries are already having success with offshore wind.

What you can do

Contact your state legislators and Governor-elect Ayotte in Concord, and urge them to support “procurement” of offshore wind by state utilities – as other NE coastal states have already done – as well as strengthening, not weakening of the state’s renewable standards (currently by far the weakest of all NE states).

FLOATING WIND TURBINES AROUND THE WORLD – OFF THE COAST AND ON THE GRID!

VolturnUS/UMO 1/8 scale Turbine. Castine, Maine

VolturnUS/UMO 1/8 scale Turbine
Castine, Maine

WindFloat 8.4 MW Turbine being towed off Portugal

WindFloat 8.4 MW Turbine
Being towed off Portugal

7MW Hywind Turbines off the coast of Scotland, by the Norwegian company, Equinor

7MW Hywind Turbines by Equinor
Off the coast of Scotland