2021 UNH Sustainability Fellowship: Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Communications Development

UNH Sustainability Fellowships pair exceptional students from UNH and across the U.S. with municipal, educational, corporate, and non-profit partners in New England to work on transformative sustainability initiatives each summer.  Sustainability Fellows undertake challenging projects that are designed to create an immediate impact, offer a quality learning experience, and foster meaningful collaboration. Fellows work on-site (or online) with their mentors at partner organizations during the summer, supported by a network of Fellows, partners, alumni, and the UNH Team. 

 

A detailed description of one Fellowship follows. To learn more about the other Fellowships offered this year, and for application instructions, see: https://www.unh.edu/sustainability/changemaker-collaborative/programs/

 

·     Students and recent graduates who will have earned an undergraduate degree from ANY accredited college or university by May 2021 (current seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students).

The New Hampshire Commission, chaired by Senator Watters, is a broad-based group of legislators, state agencies, businesses, and interest groups developing policy for offshore wind and port development (RSA 374-F:10). As offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine gets underway, with the potential to transform renewable energy in the region, the Commission will have a major influence on how that development affects the New Hampshire economy, workforce, environment, and energy portfolio. Under the direction of Sen. Watters, the Fellow will work with the Commission as well as partner agencies including the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs, the Nature Conservancy, and NH Sea Grant. These partners will help leverage the work of the Commission, through the Fellow’s communication project, to reach business, environmental, fisheries, and municipal groups.

New Hampshire has struggled to make progress on renewable energy in order to address the climate crisis. High electricity prices have increased reliance on natural gas and nuclear sources. The potential for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine is enormous, so the Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) established in 2019 the Gulf of Maine Task Force, composed of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, to develop the resource. To develop policy and promote offshore wind and port development, Sen. Watters’s Commission bill was passed by the legislature. The bill, and the Commission’s work, have been informed by the development of the industry in Europe and along the Southern New England coast, but the Commission needs to recommend policies suitable for New Hampshire, particularly in highlighting the business, employment, and environmental benefits. The timing of this Fellowship is significant, since much needs to be done right now to communicate to New Hampshire so that people can take advantage of the opportunities of this industry, and to persuade the industry to base operations in the state.

 

The project objectives include gathering existing information on offshore wind industry development to create informational and educational materials for specific audiences in the state, including businesses, the fishing community, and environmental groups, and also packaging these materials for use by municipalities and governmental officials. The materials will inform audiences about the potential benefits of offshore wind and port development, and what that process might look like in New Hampshire. The project will also include the development of a communications plan for distributing and sharing the materials via the networks of the partners. The Fellow will have the help of Sen. Watters, the Offshore Wind and Port Development Director at NH Business Education Association (NHBEA), the Nature Conservancy, and NH Sea Grant in learning about offshore wind development and potential implications for NH.

 

For the business communications, there will be particular focus on working with NHBEA to inform NH businesses about how they can get involved in offshore wind development, construction, and supply chain and maintenance, and the workforce needs in these areas. For the fisheries communications, the Fellow will focus on creating materials that address the major concerns of the fishing community (and other maritime activities), and how these concerns have been addressed elsewhere and will be addressed by BOEM and by state agencies. For the environmental communications, the materials will address the renewable energy potential and concerns over possible environmental impacts on coastal waters and the seacoast. Attention to science-based information and social and environmental justice concerns will be highlighted throughout. The Fellow will assemble materials created for these three areas into a cohesive form convenient for use by municipal and governmental officials. Part of the planning strategy will be to set priorities among these areas and to determine realistically what can be produced within the period of the Fellowship.

           

Deliverables include a set of educational materials (digital and print) on offshore wind development and implications for the state of NH tailored for 1) businesses, 2) the fishing community, and 3) environmental groups. A selection of these materials will also be packaged for municipal and government officials. In addition, a communication plan will be developed to facilitate the distribution of materials to target audiences.

 

The Fellow will work with partners to determine the best form for these materials, and develop a strategy to integrate them into existing communications efforts.

The Fellow’s work will increase awareness, build support in crucial sectors, and help attract an industry that will provide quality jobs and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The economic development, done right, can address social and environmental justice and equity needs in New Hampshire.

NH Commission, The State House, Concord, NH, 03301

NHBEA, 100 North Main Street, Suite 100, Concord NH 03301

NH Sea Grant, Morse Hall, Suite 164, 8 College Road, Durham, NH 03824,

NH Nature Conservancy, 22 Bridge St., Concord, NH 03301

Work will be performed online.

Mentors: Sen. David Watters, Chair, NH Commission; Michael Behrmann, Offshore Wind and Port Development Director; Jim O’Brien, Director, NH Nature Conservancy, Erik Chapman, Director, NH Sea Grant.

Compensation:

$6500

(taxable and distributed on a two-week payroll cycle over the course of the fellowship)

·     Attend a mandatory orientation prior to the start of the fellowship term, June 1-3, 2021. 

·     Work full-time for the partner organization, June 7 - August 20, 2021

·     Complete 400 hours of work, including project work with host organization as well as UNHSI activities, between June 1 – August 20, 2021.

·     Complete a fellowship project according to the work plan.

·     Participate in weekly webinars and advisory group meetings.

·     Present work at mid-term and final poster sessions at UNH on July 15 and August 12.

·     Engage in additional professional development, networking, and advisory activities as offered.

·     Provide and receive feedback at the end of the fellowship.

Apply by February 15 by clicking on the green Apply Externally button.

Questions may be addressed to fellows.network@unh.edu.