Though rugged terrain and limited open space have slowed wind power development in New England, the industry is growing, Cherian said.
"The US has a lot of wind, and it's one of the resources we're starting to take advantage of," he said. "There is no wind OPEC. No one owns it. It's free and it's clean."
Iberdrola wants to build more wind farms in New England, and at least one other company has said it is looking to develop a wind project in Coos County, N.H. In Maine and Vermont, commercial wind farms have been built in the past two years and several others are in the early planning stages. In Massachusetts, the federal government said last month it will give the state as much as $2 million to test wind turbine technology.
Also, a much-debated project calls for 130 windmills across 25 miles of federal waters in Nantucket Sound off Cape Cod. The project, proposed by Cape Wind Associates, still needs federal approval.
"What's happening in New Hampshire fits the national trend," said Tom Welch, a spokesman for the US Department of Energy's wind and hydropower technologies program.
Commercial wind projects have been built in 27 states. But even with the growth of the wind sector, the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources remains small. Less than 10 percent of all power generated in the United States comes from wind, water, and solar energy, according to the Energy Information Institute, a government agency that keeps statistics for the energy department.
The traditional challenge for wind developers in New England has been finding the right place to put the turbines, Cherian said.
The wind has to be steady and unobstructed by trees and mountains.
Another challenge has been local opposition from residents worried about safety, noise, and the visual pollution.
In Lempster, about 100 people with concerns about the project appealed to the state last year for additional oversight of the project. Lempster Board of Selectmen chairman Everett Thurber said he was satisfied by the review.
"The state has been extremely thorough," he said. "There is overwhelming support for the wind project in Lempster. We see it as benefiting our town."
