Windfall: a limited series from New Hampshire Public Radio’s Outside/In

The United States is poised for the birth of a brand new industry, one that will invest tens of billions of dollars into our economy, reshape our coastal communities, and that could be one of the sharpest knives in our fight against climate change: offshore wind.

After 20 years of political sabotage and bureaucratic red tape, the U.S. is moving full speed ahead on installing offshore wind energy. In March 2021, President Biden announced plans to install 30,000 megawatts off the east coast by 2030, as much offshore wind in ten years as Europe or China have installed in twenty. It’s going to be huge: tens of thousands of jobs, tens of billions of dollars injected into the economy, and 2,000 turbines taller than the Washington Monument, placed right in the Atlantic Ocean. 

This may be the first time that truly massive companies have retooled their entire business models to train their sights at the climate problem. And that raises sticky questions about whether capitalism — which, you could argue, got us into this whole climate mess — could be the best path out of the worst impacts of climate change.

Windfall, from New Hampshire Public Radio’s award-winning podcast Outside/In, investigates the rise of this brand-new American industry. This is the story of a promising green energy technology and it’s the story of an organized opposition. It’s about how the failures of the past define future success at a time when the government is poised to take real action. And ultimately this is a story about power: who has it, where it comes from, and who benefits.

For this series, NHPR spoke with the inventor of one of the earliest wind turbines, key players from the disastrous Cape Wind saga, coastal community leaders, labor leaders, tribal leaders, fishermen, and fisheries scientists.

The first of Windfall’s five episodes launches on Outside/In beginning June 24th. It’s available free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosts

Sam Evans-Brown grew up in New Hampshire and has worked at New Hampshire Public Radio since 2010 as a freelance reporter. He became an environmental reporter in 2011. His work has won him several awards, including an Overseas Press Club award, three regional Edward R. Murrow awards, and one national Murrow award. He studied Politics and Spanish at Bates College, and before reporting was variously employed as a Spanish teacher, farmer, bicycle mechanic, ski coach, research assistant, a wilderness trip leader and a technical supporter.

Jack Rodolico (he/him) has spent his career in public radio and podcasting producing narrative-driven investigative journalism that delivers an emotional impact. He is the recipient of more than a dozen local and national awards, including a National Edward R. Murrow Award and finalist nods from the Scripps Howard Foundation and the Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma. Jack was the lead reporter on “A Mountain of Misconduct” and “Heroin Diaries,” both collaborations with Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. He was senior reporter on “Last Seen”, a podcast from WBUR and The Boston Globe about the greatest art heist in history.

Annie Ropeik (she/her) is NHPR’s energy and environment reporter. She joined NHPR’s reporting team in 2017, following stints with public radio stations and collaborations across the country. She has reported everywhere from fishing boats, island villages and cargo terminals in Alaska, to cornfields, factories and Superfund sites in the Midwest. Her work has appeared on NPR, the BBC and CNN, and earned recognition from PRNDI and multiple state press clubs.

NHPR

Since 1981, New Hampshire Public Radio has shaped the media landscape in the Granite State and beyond. Our mission is “Expanding minds, sparking connections, building stronger communities.” NHPR is broadcast from 14 different sites, making it by far New Hampshire’s largest (and only) statewide radio news service. Every week, NHPR is the choice of 157,000 listeners as a primary source of in-depth and intelligent news coverage, with thousands more viewing NHPR.org, following our social media sites or listening to our podcasts. Each day, New Hampshire Public Radio delivers several hours of local news reported by its award-winning news team. Locally produced programs and podcasts include The Exchange, The Folk Show, Outside/In, and Civics 101, among others. NHPR is the exclusive outlet for NPR News in the Granite State and broadcasts national weekly programs such as The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, and This American Life.