Wind power in New Hampshire

Two turbines of Lempster Mountain wind farm
Crotched Mountain
Wind power projects in New Hampshire
  Operating
  Under construction
  Decommissioned

Wind power in New Hampshire began in 1980, with the installation of the world's first wind farm at Crotched Mountain, consisting of 20 30 kW wind turbines, although it closed decades ago.[1] Two wind power projects are operating in the state of New Hampshire – Lempster Mountain, which opened in 2008, and Granite Wind, which opened in late 2011 – while one is under construction, and three are proposed, as of 2012.

Brookfield's $275 million Granite Reliable Wind Farm has 33 Vestas three-megawatt wind turbines on mountains in the Phillips Brook area.[2][3][4]

Groton Wind consists of 24 Gamesa G87 2.0 MW turbines, and are located along two ridges west of Plymouth, in the town of Groton. Although there is a high voltage power line to the west of the wind farm, the power is transmitted to a new substation at the Campton–Holderness town line.[5][6] Turbines are 286 feet (87 m) tall and the blades are 139 feet (42 m) long. Operation is expected to begin by the end of November 2012, with full operation beginning in January 2013.[7]

Two additional wind farms are proposed nearby, one in the towns of Alexandria, and Danbury, and the second, 60 MW, in the towns of Groton, Alexandria and Hebron.[8]

The Antrim wind farm had been expected to begin construction in 2014,[9] however, on February 7, 2013, New Hampshire's Site Evaluation Committee rejected the proposal by a 6 to 3 vote, the first time ever that the SEC has turned down a wind project.[10] The primary reason for the rejection was stated as the visual and aesthetic impact the proposed turbines would have had on the Audubon Society of New Hampshire's Willard Pond Sanctuary and the region in general.

New Hampshire is a net power producer, generating more than is consumed. The output of Groton Wind is going to NStar, in Boston, and 55% of Granite is going to Vermont.[11] In 2010 New Hampshire produced 22 million MWh, and used 7.7 million MWh.[12]

A 2009 regulation requires state approval of any energy facility of over 30 MW, and transmission lines over 100 kV.[13]

Name Capacity
(MW) 		Energy
(GW·hr/yr) 		Location
(county) 		Status
Lempster Mountain 24   70[14] Sullivan Operating
Granite 99[15] 224[16] Coos Operating[17]
Groton Wind 48 144-158[18] Grafton Operating[19][20][21]
Alexandria 60 Grafton Proposed
Production[22]
YearGW·hr
200810.319
200962.477
201075.688
201166.092
2012208.699
2013389.184
2014411.581
2015419.180

See also

References

  1. ↑ Historic Wind Development in New England
  2. ↑ Conaboy, Chelsea (September 17, 2008). "33 turbines would dot Coos ridges". Concord Monitor. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Granite Reliable Power Windpark, NH". Our Windparks. Noble Environmental Power. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  4. ↑ Department of Energy Finalizes $169 Million Loan Guarantee to Granite Reliable Power: A Wind Powering America Success Story
  5. ↑ Groton Wind Farm
  6. ↑ Electric service lines in Plymouth area being upgraded
  7. ↑ Completion of Groton Wind Farm Proves Beneficial for NH
  8. ↑ Second international firm proposes 3rd Newfound Lake-area wind farm
  9. ↑ Advocates voice optimism for NH's wind power potential
  10. ↑ Antrim Wind Farm Gets Thumbs Down From SEC
  11. ↑ Vermont utils to buy wind power from New Hampshire
  12. ↑ Retail Sales of Electricity by State
  13. ↑ Energy Facility Evaluation, Siting, Construction and Operation
  14. ↑ Fleisher, Chris (October 11, 2009). "Lempster's big blow: One year later". The Keene Sentinel. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
  15. ↑ State to suspend action on wind farm application February 9, 2009, retrieved May 16, 2009
  16. ↑ "Granite Reliable". Loan Programs Office, DOE. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Coos County Wind Project Would Create 550 Jobs, Contribute $40.6M to Economy" (Press release). University of New Hampshire (UNH). April 15, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  18. ↑ Groton Wind
  19. ↑ Wind project gets deadline extension
  20. ↑ Wind farm makes presence known
  21. ↑ iberdrola renewables - groton wind
  22. ↑ Detailed State Data
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