PORTSMOUTH – With a gentle breeze and the Sarah Long Bridge as a backdrop, Representative Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, met with heads of state at the New Hampshire State Port Authority to discuss the role of the State in the development of renewable energy generation offshore wind turbines.

The Vineyard Wind Project, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the country off Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, recently received federal approval last month to begin construction. Pappas said it was time to think about the future that can be created in New Hampshire.

“An important step”:Federal government gives final approval to Vineyard Wind

“We can go in the right direction in terms of protecting our environment and training the workforce of tomorrow,†he said. “These things are not mutually exclusive, and I think the conversation around offshore wind helps highlight how we can put all of these incentives and priorities in the same direction.”

In late March, the Biden administration unveiled plans to expand the use of offshore wind farms along the east coast, hoping to install 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

The White House said the plan would create more than 40,000 jobs directly related to offshore wind and an additional 33,000 jobs in “communities supported by offshore wind activity†by the target year. Implementing the plan would allow 10 million U.S. homes to be powered for a year, as well as see 78 million metric tons of carbon emissions erased during that time, the administration said.

How will New Hampshire get involved in wind power?

At the request of Governor Chris Sununu in 2019, New Hampshire formed a partnership with Maine and Massachusetts through the Department of the Interior’s Office of Ocean Energy Management to begin identifying areas of potential locations for offshore wind farms, approved by the federal government.

‘Huge opportunity here’:NH turns to offshore wind turbines for renewable energy

Those locations would be in the Gulf of Maine, according to Michael Behrmann, the state’s director of offshore wind industry development. This group, however, has not met since December 2019 due to COVID-19, he said.

Officials said they have previously discussed 800-foot-tall wind turbines located 10 to 20 miles off the New Hampshire coast as part of a multibillion-dollar project.

Expectations are high for job growth once offshore wind power locations are identified in the Gulf of Maine and federally approved. Behrmann said tens of thousands of jobs could be created during the pre-development, construction and operation phases.

Construction of a regional offshore wind farm would likely not begin for another seven years, he said, although he said he was pushing for the tri-state task force to meet at some point. this year to start identifying potential locations for a project.

That could happen in a year and a half rather than two or three years, he noted, due to the current push from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Biden administration.

“I hope this process will not take as long as in the past,†he said. “But that said, we want to make sure that these are good locations that (take) full account of the different industries and stakeholders, obviously including the fishing and fishing community.â€

Examining the Vineyard Wind Project, located more than 15 miles off the state’s coast and aimed to generate enough power for more than 400,000 Bay State homes and businesses, Behrmann said it was helpful to have a regional example to compare to as New Hampshire develops its own plans.

The Vineyard wind project will cost $ 2.8 billion, although the project website says it will save around $ 3.7 billion over the life of the project and reduce emissions by 1.68 million metric tonnes each year, which is equivalent to taking 325,000 cars off the road.

What are the opportunities for New Hampshire?

State Senator David Watters, D-Dover, who chairs the State Commission to Study Offshore Wind and Port Development, said the possibility of job creation is a determining factor for the potential project of the Gulf of Maine in addition to its environmental impact.

In the supply chain needed to manufacture wind turbines, Watters estimated that this could require between 6,000 and 8,000 workers, and the process could also allow internships and apprenticeships for students at community colleges and public universities in the state.

The establishment of offshore wind would also coincide with the decommissioning of the Seabrook nuclear power plant, which is allowed to continue operating until 2030.

“So that’s really essential for some kind of resilience and also a sustainability of our energy supply, especially when we electrify our economy, whether it’s transport or buildings, to make sure we’re meeting our climate goals. “, did he declare. “But if you come for the renewables, you stay for the jobs, right?”

Pappas said the process is just beginning, happening at the same time as the federal government discusses the cost of a federal infrastructure package.

“Obviously this is going to be a long conversation that I think will take us through the summer and fall, but we really want things to be good for the future of our country,” did he declare.