“If folks want to bring it
up [offshore wind] and
they want to try to
make that case in NH,
I’m not opposing it.”
-Govenor Sununu
Source: NHPR- Governor Chris Sununu on “The Exchange”
When we show governor Sununu there is
NH community support for offshore wind,
he will request the task force.
A passed warrant article or a resolution will
demonstrate community support.
Why Would Nashua Need Offshore Wind?
1. Local Jobs and economic benefit
2. The ability to rely on LOCAL power
3. Cost of generating electricity from wind has declined
Significantly
4. Reduced atmospheric pollution — healthy community
1. Economic Benefit
¢ Thousands of LOCAL jobs QO
will be created LO _ ea
e Potential for 15 Billion
increase to coastal
economies
2. Local Reliable Electricity
60% of electricity in NH is generated
from natural gas that comes from out of
state. This results in billions of dollars
leaving the state
Other projects like Northern Pass are still
coming to us from out of the country
Offshore wind turbines would be 12
Miles off the coast — much closer than
hydro from Canada, natural gas from
Pennsylvania, or oil from Latin America
(yet almost out of sight!)
3. Technology Improved, Costs Declined
The technology used to generate electricity from wind has advanced significantly
Costs have also declined, making wind much more competitive with other methods of generating
electricity.
Commercial wind farms on land in the USA are successful, generating over 4% of all the
electricity in the nation in 2013; lowa and South Dakota generate 25% of their electricity with
wind.
The USA’s first offshore wind farm near Block Island is a success
Many European countries have offshore wind farms (UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium,
Germany, France, Poland)
Asian countries are investing in offshore wind as well (China, Japan, South Korea, Australia)
What other NH Cities and Towns are Doing
The following cities have signed resolutions: Towns considering resolutions or warrants:
* Dover * Alstead
° Durham r Concord
¢ Exeter
¢ Portsmouth :
* Henniker
¢ Newcastle has a vote for offshore wind * Hopkinton
support on their agenda for town meeting o
in May cs
°* Marlborough
° Newfields
¢ Nottingham
* Rindge
* Rye
Please consider either a resolution, or a warrant on the ballot so that the
Governor can have confidence that Nashua clearly does (or does not)
support studying offshore wind
Sample warrant: By petition of eligible voters of town of NASHUA to see if the town will urge:
NH to join existing efforts in Massachusetts and Maine to study the feasibility of developing offshore wind power in
the Gulf of Maine, by providing written notice urging Governor Sununu to request the formation of an
intergovernmental task force.
° A bipartisan NH legislative committee studied offshore wind in 2014 and recommended the
establishment of the task force.
¢ Floating wind turbines located far offshore in federal waters and barely visible from land,
combined with other renewable energy sources, would move NH to 100% renewable energy
by 2050.
° The building of offshore wind farms would also bring significant jobs and income to NH.
Sample Resolution
* Whereas The State of New Hampshire has committed to 80
percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, but has yet
to develop a plan to achieve that goal, and needs to work
toward a sustainable energy system to ensure protection of
the health of its people, environment, and economy before
this date, and
¢ Whereas the federal Department of Energy has determined
that the Gulf of Maine has a total potential wind power
capacity in excess of 200,000 Megawatts within 50 miles of
the coasts of New Hampshire, Maine and northeast
Massachusetts, and that utilizing just a small percentage of
this potential, combined with other renewable resources,
could provide most of the future power needs of our region,
and Whereas operation of floating wind farms 10 to 50 miles
off our coast is expected to have much less impact on our
environment and public health than all existing power
sources, as well as create less aesthetic concern than
terrestrial wind farms, and
Whereas development and operation of offshore wind farms have the
potential to create large numbers of jobs and other economic activity
within Portsmouth Harbor and other NH coastal communities, and
Whereas a bipartisan NH legislative study committee report in 2014
concluded that "The wind resource off of New Hampshire’s coast has the
potential to generate significant amounts of electricity," and that
“offshore wind development has the potential to generate significant
economic activity within Portsmouth Harbor...," recommending that the
Governor request formation of an intergovernmental Task Force and
stakeholder process to plan for regional offshore wind development,
Resolved, the Town/City of supports efforts to
develop wind power off the New Hampshire coast and urges Governor
Sununu to make a formal request to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) to form a Task Force and stakeholder process to
plan for regional offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine.
Further, the Town/City Council will send written notice of support for
this resolution to Governor Sununu within 30 days of its passage.
Backup Slides
