CONCORD — The Gulf of Maine could be the Saudi Arabia of wind energy, said New Hampshire state Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, in advance of a press conference on the state and offshore wind.

On April 30, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced a proposal by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the first offshore wind energy auction in the Gulf of Maine. The sale would include eight lease areas off the coasts of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, totaling nearly one million acres, with the potential to generate 15 gigawatts of energy – nearly half of the amount of energy that powers the current electric grid servicing the region. 

On Thursday, New England for Offshore Wind, Granite Shore Power, New Hampshire business leaders, and state elected officials were scheduled to hold a press conference to urge the state to “get engaged” in the procurement and development of offshore wind power.

“We felt that it was time to lift this back up in terms of the opportunity that New Hampshire has to be part of a burgeoning industry,” said Rob Werner, New Hampshire state director of the League of Conservation voters and a member of New England for Offshore Wind. “Not only for environmental reasons in terms of decarbonizing our economy and addressing climate change, but also in terms of economic development, jobs in the region.”

The push for wind energy comes after the announcement that Schiller and Merrimack Station power plants will be converted into “renewable energy parks.” Granite Shore Power, the company that owns both plants, is supporting the offshore wind energy movement and will play a role in its development, according to Werner.

What’s the deal with offshore wind power?

Offshore wind power is a form of renewable energy where the force of the winds at sea is harnessed and transformed into electricity.

In 2016, Block Island Wind Farm, located off of Block Island, Rhode Island, became the first project in the United States to deliver offshore wind power to the grid. In March, the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm opened off Montauk Point in New York. In Europe, there are several offshore wind farms in places like the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Netherlands. In addition to the Gulf of Maine, the DOI proposal also included a wind energy auction off the coast of Oregon.

Offshore wind farms can create a large amount of clean energy: the proposed offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine has the potential to power 5 million homes. It also does so far away from where people live, meaning there is little local impact. Watters said the proposed offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine would be too far away for people to see.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a press release these projects are part of the administration’s commitment to develop clean energy and create jobs. In New Hampshire, Werner and Watters see offshore wind as an economic windfall.

“I think there’s so many opportunities; it’s not only the developers that you know, would be putting in the actual turbines in the Gulf of Maine,” Werner said. “There’s a supply chain aspect to it, and economic development aspect to it in terms of jobs, in terms of electricians and welders and professionals of all types as this industry grows.”

The wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine are likely to be floating, rather than be attached to a big pole like those on land. They’d be attached to the ocean floor by a cable.

Offshore wind farms face opposition from fishermen

Fisheries and lobstermen have voiced opposition to the offshore wind farms. Watters said fishermen are worried about “any loss of bottom” in terms of where they can fish. He said they took those fears into account and excluded areas that are prime fishing grounds. But in Maine, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association has pushed back against any industrialization of the Gulf of Maine.

Environmental organizations, too, are worried about the impact the farms could have on birds and marine life. But Werner said groups like the National Wildlife Federation and Audubon have been part of the conversations since the beginning.

“There really is a way to create a balance. Part of the reason that those organizations came to the table in the first place, was the realization of the impact of climate change. In the Gulf of Maine, the waters are warming more rapidly than almost anywhere else, affecting wildlife,” Werner said. “You can arrange and create a situation for offshore wind development that takes into consideration bird migration patterns and things of that nature.”

Public meetings to be held on offshore wind project

The conversation isn’t over yet; throughout the next couple months, there will be a 60-day public comment period on the proposed sale. BOEM will host three in-person meetings where the public will have the chance to discuss the auctions with BOEM scientists and other employees, as well as five virtual meetings directed at different stakeholders, like commercial fishing and environmental organizations.

The first in-person meeting is scheduled for May 28 in in Portland, Maine. The second will be the following day, May 29, at the Urban Forestry Center in Portsmouth from 5 to 8 p.m. The third is set for May 30 in Danvers, Massachusetts.

A commercial truck driver who was acquitted of causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire testified at a hearing Wednesday on his request to reinstate his suspended license, while a lawyer for the state said he still played a role in the 2019 crash.

A jury in 2022 found Volodymyr Zhukovskyy not guilty of multiple manslaughter and negligent homicide counts stemming from the collision in Randolph that killed seven members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, an organization of Marine Corps veterans and their spouses in New England.

Zhukovskyy, who came to the U.S. as a child from Ukraine and had permanent residency status, had his Massachusetts license automatically suspended in New Hampshire after his arrest following the June 21, 2019, crash.

MASSACHUSETTS TRUCK DRIVER INVOLVED IN FATAL CRASH THAT KILLED 7 WANTS LICENSE BACK

Based on his interviews with police at the time, “I thought I was the one that caused the accident,” Zhukovskyy, 28, testified at a four-hour administrative hearing in Concord in which he appeared via video. “I was like in a bubble with all the pressure.”

Prosecutors argued that Zhukovskyy — who had taken heroin, fentanyl and cocaine the day of the crash — repeatedly swerved back and forth before the collision and told police he caused it. But a judge dismissed eight impairment charges and his attorneys said the lead biker was drunk and not looking where he was going when he lost control of his motorcycle and slid in front of Zhukovskyy’s truck, which was pulling an empty flatbed trailer.

Zhukovskyy’s trial lawyers also said there was no evidence he was impaired at the time of the crash and that police did not make any observations in the hours afterward suggesting he was.

Restoration of Zhukovskky’s license would depend on whether hearings officer Ryan McFarland decides Zhukovskyy drove “in an unlawful and reckless manner” that “materially contributed” to the accident, according to state law. McFarland took the case under advisement after the hearing. If he finds in favor of the state, Zhukovskyy’s license could remain suspended for up to seven years.

One former Jarheads member injured in the crash spoke out against restoring the license.

“You’re all in jeopardy of this guy driving again,” said Manny Ribeiro, speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s hearing. “I know what happened that day. I was there.”

The manslaughter acquittal at the time drew strong comments from Gov. Chris Sununu, who said the seven bikers “did not receive justice,” and from Attorney General John Formella, who said he believed the state proved its case.

Zhukovskyy said at Wednesday’s hearing he was driving around a crest on an east-west highway, saw a motorcycle coming in his direction, and applied his brakes.

“He responded in seconds,” his attorney Earle Wingate III, said. “He did not cause the crash.”

But David Hilts, an attorney for the state Department of Safety, challenged that account, based on expert reports. He said descriptions of where the tires were at the time showed Zhukovskyy didn’t see the motorcycle in advance.

“The impact happened. He jams on his breaks,” Hilts said.

Hilts questioned Zhukovskyy extensively about his drug use based on the police interviews. The attorney said in his closing statement that Zhukovskyy did everything possible to not answer his questions about drug use and impairment.

Hilts also brought up prior accidents Zhukovskyy was involved in, including one 18 days before the Randolph crash. He said both Zhukovskyy and the lead biker, Albert “Woody” Mazza Jr., materially contributed to the crash. Mazza, one of the seven who died, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.135%, well above the legal limit of 0.08%, according to his autopsy report.

At the time, Zhukovskyy’s license should have been revoked because he had been arrested in Connecticut on a drunken driving charge in May 2019. Connecticut officials alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Zhukovskyy’s license wasn’t suspended due to a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses. The Connecticut case is pending.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Zhukovskyy after the 2022 verdict, citing previous convictions of drug possession, driving with a suspended license, furnishing false information and larceny. Zhukovskyy was taken from a New Hampshire county jail to a federal detention facility.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Zhukovskyy’s immigration attorney requested asylum for his client. In February 2023, a judge ordered Zhukovskyy’s deportation. But it’s unclear under how he could be sent to a country at war with Russia. The U.S. has paused repatriation flights to Ukraine and authorized Temporary Protected Status for qualified Ukrainians.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than $30 million in federal funding is coming to New Hampshire from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help address the state’s housing affordability crisis.

New Hampshire will receive $21,547,769 in grant funding toward affordable housing, community development and homeless assistance and $9,971,896 in Public Housing Repair grant funding to improve and modernize public housing stock in the Granite State.

New Hampshire’s Congressional delegation on Thursday provided statements detailing the significance of the funding when it comes to improving the lives of many of the state’s most vulnerable.

“Access to affordable housing is critical for the well-being of Granite State families, the workforce and our economy,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. “New Hampshire faces a severe housing shortage, needing more than 60,000 additional units by 2030, and the lack of necessary housing is the primary cause of increasing costs. This federal funding will provide communities across New Hampshire with the resources they need to take steps to address housing affordability, invest in new construction and make improvements for Granite Staters living in public housing.”

“New Hampshire’s housing shortage is hurting families who are trying to buy a house or rent an apartment, and it is hurting businesses by preventing them from recruiting the workers that they need,” said Sen. Maggie Hassan. “This federal funding will lower rental costs, support new housing construction projects, and help address homelessness – all of which will help more Granite State communities thrive.”

Advertisement

“It’s no secret New Hampshire is experiencing a housing shortage—we need 90,000 new units by 2040 to meet expected demand,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. “I’m pleased to see these resources heading to the Granite State to help expand our affordable housing stock, ensure more Granite Staters have a safe place to call home, and support our communities and economy.”

“Stable housing is essential for an individual’s health, wellbeing, and safety,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “As New Hampshire continues to face an extreme housing shortage, these funds will provide resources for public housing development and modernization, support for low-income renters and homeowners, help to individuals experiencing homelessness, and increase our affordable housing supply. I’ll continue working to support efforts to help Granite Staters find safe and affordable housing and address the root causes of the housing crisis.”

The New Hampshire Congressional delegation works at the federal level to help tackle the state’s housing affordability crisis. The delegation recently also promoted the $12 million in federal grants awarded for New Hampshire organizations that provide housing assistance and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness through HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

These funding streams can be used to establish innovative projects such as the Cottages at Back River Road in Dover, an energy-efficient workforce housing project.