An Open Letter to Sununu

Governor Sununu, in a radio interview last summer, you said that if the people of New Hampshire wanted to “make a case” for offshore wind, you “weren’t opposing it.”  Many of us have read about recent offshore wind advances in Maine and Massachusetts.  Department of Energy studies identify enough wind potential off our coast to significantly reduce our fossil fuel dependence, help to slow climate change, bring sustainable jobs to NH, and reduce consumer energy costs.  When we heard you say that you were open to the idea, we went ahead and made a case for it.

Enthusiastic grassroots efforts led to the passage of resolutions in twenty towns urging you to take the next steps.  There was notable support for this idea in the communities where it was considered.  Here in Nottingham, the warrant article voicing our support for offshore wind passed unanimously.  People are eager to see NH embrace renewable energy and the economic opportunity it brings. 

In April, we delivered letters to you from the towns that voted in favor of moving forward, demonstrating our support for offshore wind, which you have so far ignored.  NH’s communities deserve a response.  By ignoring this, you are effectively opposing it.  It’s your job to represent NH citizens’ interests.  We have expressed that we want to explore this potential.  

To move forward, you can simply request a task force from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to use already allocated federal funds for the necessary research. BOEM will work with NH to determine the economic and environmental impacts, infrastructure requirements, and overall feasibility of this endeavor.  Stop standing in the way of offshore wind, listen to the people of NH, and request this task force.  What’s the delay?

Brieghan Gardner, Nottingham