by Bill Baber
We cannot escape the world we have made. Every day, evidence of massive changes in our climate confront us. Hottest ever, greatest flood ever, largest fire ever are the new normal. We know why this is happening, and we know what must change. We must massively reduce the carbon we release into our environment.
The turbines off Hampton's coastline will have very little visual impact
Given that, it is sad to see the extensive coverage given to the concerns of one retired state representative about the visual impact of wind turbines off Hampton’s coastline. Given the great distances they will need to be offshore, the visual impact is likely to be little more than that of a bobbing lobster buoy.
Wind turbines could provide NH with more power than 125 Seabrook Stations
I, too, am a retired state representative who served as the ranking member of the Science, Technology, and Energy committee. My experience informs me that we simply cannot meet our energy transformation needs without utilizing wind energy from the Gulf of Maine. The potential is just too great to ignore. Experts have estimated that the total available renewable power is in the order of 156 gigawatts - that’s 125 Seabrook Stations to you and me.
More research is needed to make wind turbines in NH a reality
While this level of production will likely never be fully realized, and many challenging hurdles must be overcome before any offshore wind is online, it is easy to understand why this path forward is one that must be explored. Not only will our environment benefit, but so will our economy. The scale of these turbines and their platforms will dictate local construction generating many high-skilled, well-paying jobs well into the future.
We are ideally positioned to take advantage of this needed gift from nature. We should move forward guided by science rather than unsupported fears.
---
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content and the opinions expressed within it. For information on the Dover Democratic Committee, our mission, values and policies, please see “About Us” on this website.
Bill Baber is an active Dover Democrat who serves on the Dover Dems’ Executive Committee, the Communications Team, and leads the Energy and Environment Action Group. He currently chairs Dover’s Energy Commission. Bill was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and served as the ranking member of the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He retired from the University of New Hampshire where he last served as an Associate Director of Academic Computing. Sailing, kayaking, and hiking with his wife, Kristine, are what he enjoys most.