YOUR COMMENTS

Dan in Auburn,
Thanks for clarifying your position. Sites are evaluated for wind power projects, first using national average wind speed maps, second by securing purchase and sale agreements for leases over the properties, and third by 1 or 2 years of on-site data collection using meteorological towers similar to the height of the proposed turbines. I don’t believe the government has the cash, incentive, or objectivity to effectively undertake these second and third steps. I agree with the thrust of you comments though, that some areas ought to be proactively zoned off for wind power development. This is taking place in some towns through Nimby Zoning Boards but it seems the State ought to take a roll as well. That said, I don’t believe the north woods is an area that should be off limits; wind turbines seem to be very compatible with snow mobile / ATV tourism which is a big thrust up there. A

What happens with many development projects, including wind power, is that one company will obtain the permits and then sell some or all of the project to another company that has the cash to build the towers. So I am not worried about GRP’s finances.
- Jim, Manchester

Herb C,

Thanks for the education on wind profiles in the state.

Assuming your statements are correct, which seems reasonable to me, I am still not convinced that the proposed project is robust. Your comments do not address a couple of key issues with the proposed project.

GRP is not financially well and could very well end up starting the project and leaving a scarred mountaintop for someone else to clean up.

I still assert that off-shore turbines would provide a more consistent supply of energy with a lesser environmental impact.
- Dan, Auburn

Jim in Manchester,

Thanks for reading my post and taking the time to reply.

First, I am not advocating that GRP undertake a farm on the saecoast. My point is that GRP is the wrong company to undertake a program of this magnitude, never mind a larger one.

Second, I don't live in the north woods, so my objection to the proposed farm is not based on a NIMBY outlook.

Our government should provide incentives to the right company to build a wind farm in the right place and then assert the appropriate political power to make it happen.
- Dan, Auburn

The folks in the North Country want it because they are being bribed with promises of money from the purported revenue it will bring. Our blithering governor is letting all this happen hoping to be able to cash in if it succeeds. IF, and it is a big"IF" since this company is in precarious financial straits, this succeeds all electricity generated will go to Conn/Mass/RI and NY. In all probability, we will be left with a desecrated countryside that will erode and cost this state millions to repair after Granite Reliable goes belly up and the North Country will never see a penny. And whoever is Governor then and legislature will be pointing fingers at each other trying to figure out who to blame and how to pay.
- sandy, thornton

Does anybody know if there is an exit clause for the purchase of 1735 acres or the $750K after, we the state, give them permission? Is the agreement language for the 1735 acre purchase narrow enough to exclude landfills, or 1735 discontinuous unbuildable lots that nobody really wants or has very little eco value ?
- jon, merrimack

Dan in Auburn?
You complain that they don't have sufficient financial backing then ask them to undertake a more expensive marine based project?? Glad you're not a Nimby.
- Jim, Manchester

I own property in Pittsburg. When I build I plan on using both wind power and solar power for my personnel power needs.
I guarantee everyone will be jealous. On the other hand, the stream that goes through my property is on the State's List for being contaminated. Why? Because of Agricultural runoff. Not very pristine now, is it?
- Chris, NH

Actually Dan, the north country has the highest sustained wind averages in the entire state of NH, followed by the western region bordering VT. To match the levels in the north country, turbines on the seacoast would have to be placed well offshore. Then again, I'm sure none of the facts and figures such as feasibility and wind averages would have been researched before attempting this multi-million dollar project. We should just take your word for it.
- Herb C, Concord

Hey, why not put a couple hundred of these turbines in Franconia and Pinkham Notches - it's always windy in those two areas. And because it's green, it's got to be good, right?
- Brian, Farmington

Anyone opposed to this project for environmental reasons should unplug the electric line from their house and put their money where their mouth is.
- Zizzy, Manchester

Yeah well mike in cornish, You should be sticking up for the wood product industry. Small bio-mass plants instead, would create dozens more than 6 jobs. There would be logging jobs, trucking jobs and jobs at the plant. The steam can then be used to heat civic buildings like schools, etc. And, thinning the forest is good for both the wildlife and the forest. We have sold ourselves to the devil over our energy fears. We need good clean bio-mass plants for the northern forest, not wind mills. This is a bad deal for COOS County and a good deal for the fat cats.
- Joe, Henniker

As I have said before, this is the wrong project in the wrong place.

The energy generation at this site will be woefully low.

GRP does not have the financial backing to guarantee successful completion and management of the project.

There is indeed a fragile ecosystem that will affected, not just a section of timber farmland.

The right solution is a wind farm in a location with more hours of sustained winds (seacoast) in a place where access to the grid is cheaper and easier (southern NH).
- Dan, Auburn

Granite Reliable Power,
Good luck with the Army Corp!

Lisa in Concord,
I want a picture of wind tower! They are nifty.

Mike in Bedford,
You can't make and omelette without breaking eggs.
- Jim, Manchester

Someone wants to spend $275,000,000 in our state to produce clean energy and export it to bring money into the state and people are complaining?

If you don't want federal stimulus money and you don't want free enterprise money - you deserve nothing.
- Art, Portsmouth

Lisa in Concord,
No offense but you dont know what you are talking about. ! I work every other week doing forestry work in that area. Contrary to popular belief tourism is not the main source of income for the area. Timber harvesting and the woods products industry is. The majority of the timber harvested comes from a handful of large landowners. These lands have been cut over nearly five times in the last 150 years - hardly pristine! One of these landowners has been looking for alternate ways to generate income from their land -besides just selling timber and that is why they have offered to lease their their land for wind power. I can say with confidence if they don't find ways to generate alternate sources of income from their land they will sell it to the Fed. Govt. Under that scenario we will truly see that the small amount of money the feds will give the towns will be nothing compared to all the jobs and businesses that the area will lose.
- mike, cornish

It will be a travesty to our State if this is approved. The prisine area where this towers will be will be forever harmed. I live in the area every other weekend and can't believe that this is happening. In the end the $ that the area will get will be nothing in comparison to what they will lose. Tourism is their lifeline now, who wants a picture of a wind tower? This project will not bring anything to the citizens of NH. This will be a blight on the land.
- Lisa, Concord

Why don't we build wind turbines on the tops of all the tall buildings in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Manhattan, where all the power is going to go, anyway?
- Al, Lancaster

State officials have learned absolutely nothing from the FairPoint experience. Just like FairPoint, this is a company that barely has the financial resources to execute its plan,and has zippo to fall back on in the event that something goes terribly wrong. If the agreement to purchase 1,735 acres for the State and spend $750,000 for additional conservation acquisitions is a required upfront expense, this deal will fall apart. It's as meaningless a promise as was FairPoint's $50 million reserve "for the State," which we have now kissed goodbye. Everything thing in New Hampshire appears to be for sale, including our environment, and State officials are the most eager sellers.
- Skip M, Ossipee

Clearcut trees in a wide area, kill birds, destroy canada lynx habitat, destroy wetlands...but it's "green".

And Seabrook 2 wouldn't be.

Were the eco-nuts all dropped on their heads as children?
- Mike R., Bedford