New Hampshire may have the smallest ocean coastline of any US state – 18.5 miles (29.7km) – but some officials see offshore wind as a promising energy resource that could help reduce the high cost of electricity there next decade.
A 2014 study by the state legislature suggested that New Hampshire may have as much as 3.4GW of capacity within 50 miles of its mainland, which would cover most of the state’s electric power requirements.
The steep decline of the continental shelf close to shore – unlike other northeastern states except Maine – would require floating wind, whose economics continue to improve but are not yet cost-competitive with fixed foundations.
