North Carolina Governor Calls for Additional 8 GW of Offshore Wind Energy
ON&T
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has issued an executive order calling for the development of 2.8 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, and 8 GW by 2040. Governor Cooper’s executive order builds on a 2018 order to transition the state to clean energy and a 2021 report highlighting how North Carolina could capture economic benefits from the estimated $100 billion U.S. offshore wind market if it took steps to embrace the industry. With today’s announcement, U.S. states commitments to offshore wind power generation total 40 GW, stretching from the Carolinas to the Gulf of Maine.
North Carolina’s latest announcement adds to the growing momentum experienced by the U.S. offshore wind industry since President Biden took office in mid-January. In its first 100 days, the Biden Administration set a national goal of installing 30 GW of offshore wind generation by 2030, and has taken significant actions to achieve that goal including opening the Gulf of Mexico and West Coast to development as well as giving final approval to Vineyard Wind, the first commercial scale wind project in U.S. waters. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management also recently revealed it is working to prepare two more wind energy areas for lease off the Carolina coast.
The following statement can be attributed to Sam Salustro, the director of coalitions and strategic partnerships at the Business Network:
“Thanks to Governor Cooper’s bold leadership, the U.S. offshore wind industry continues to grow larger and the supply chain stronger. The Governor’s large procurement goal further solidifies investor confidence in the U.S. market and will help drive investment decisions to North Carolina and American shores. North Carolina’s rich history in manufacturing will strengthen the growing domestic supply chain and make the state a major player in the U.S. industry. Every day more is revealed about the overall U.S. market’s true size as more states turn to offshore wind to supply clean, renewable energy and serve as an economic engine for growth and job creation."
