About the Commission
Establishment & Purpose
The New Hampshire Commission to Study Offshore Wind and Port Development (RSA:374-F:10) was established by the NH State Legislature in 2020.
The purpose of the Commission is to study the potential economic and environmental benefits and impacts of offshore wind development for the State of New Hampshire. The Commission is investigating the economic development opportunities for New Hampshire in supply chain needs, port capabilities, workforce development, energy procurement, transmission and storage, and fisheries and marine environment, to ensure the success of offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. The Commission may also investigate whether contracts with developers and utilities can deliver lower costs to ratepayers.
Activities and findings of the Commission and recommendations for proposed legislation will be reported annually. Findings and recommendations of the Commission are intended to assist the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the New Hampshire legislature, Governor, and Public Utilities Commission to better facilitate the responsible development of offshore wind in the State and Gulf of Maine.
The Commission’s work is in parallel to the work of the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force established by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
Membership
The Commission’s 24 members include representatives from the New Hampshire Senate and House of Representatives; key state agencies; Strafford and Rockingham Regional Planning Commissions; the University of New Hampshire; the Community College System of New Hampshire; and other important stakeholders from the commercial fishing, labor, business, and environmental sectors.
Senator David Watters (Chair)
NH Senate
Sen. Kevin Avard
NH Senate
Glenn Brackett
NH AFL-CIO
Rep. Jose Cambrils
NH House of Representatives
Kelly Buchanan
Clean Energy NH
Ward Byrne
Joe Casey
IBEW
Taylor Caswell
NH Dept. of Business and Economic Affairs
Geno Marconi
NH Port Authority
Dianne Martin
NH Public Utilities Commission
Cheri Patterson
New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept.
Tim Roache
Rockingham Planning Commission
Mark Sanborn
NH Dept. of Energy
Rep. Doug Thomas
NH House of Representatives
Jim Titone
Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative
Sean Clancy
Great Bay Community College
Jennifer Czysz
Strafford Regional Planning Commission
Ted Diers
NH Dept. of Environmental Services
Vandan Divatia
Eversource Energy
Dr. Diane Foster
University of New Hampshire
Tony Giunta
Rep. Cathryn Harvey
NH House of Representatives
Donald Kreis
NH Office of the Consumer Advocate
Former Commission members: Michael Behrmann, NH Dept. of Business and Economic Affairs; Brianna Fiorillo, Clean Energy NH
Meetings
The Commission meets on a monthly basis. Commission meetings are open to all. Public comments received during Commission meetings will help guide the scope of the Commission’s research. Upcoming meetings are listed in the NH State Senate and House Digital Calendars on the General Court website. Check the calendar to find out more about upcoming meetings or browse meeting archive to learn more about past Commission meetings.
Committees
About this website
This website was created under the direction of Senator David Watters, Chair of the New Hampshire Commission to Study Offshore Wind and Port Development, to provide information about the Commission and about offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine.
Arianna Stokes helped to create website content in partnership with the University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute. Under the mentorship of Commission Chair Senator David Watters, former Commission Vice Chair Michael Behrmann, and NH Sea Grant Director Erik Chapman, Arianna completed a fellowship with the Commission through the UNH Sustainability Fellowship Program in summer 2021. Funding for the fellowship was provided by The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire.
Committees
Please contact Senator David Watters (Commission Chair) to learn more about this website or about the New Hampshire Commission to Study Offshore Wind and Port Development
