Offshore wind power will become a more integral part of the state’s clean energy plan, according to Executive Order 218, issued by Gov. Roy Cooper today.
North Carolina will “strive” to develop 2.8 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power 700,000 homes, over the next decade, with a total of 8 gigawatts of wind power 2040, the order reads.
The 8-gigawatt figure would generate 25% of the state’s electricity consumption.
Since the legislature’s moratorium on wind energy expired in 2018, North Carolina has looked for ways to restart the fledgling industry, not only for environmental reasons but economic ones.
In March, the Department of Commerce released a report showing that one 352-megawatt offshore wind farm would create an estimated 5,522 direct/indirect construction jobs and an estimated 191 direct/indirect jobs.
Offshore wind benefits are within North Carolina s reach if we act with urgency
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Coastal News Today | NC - North Carolina Will Pay for Climate Inaction: Report
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Coastal flooding from a nontropical low October 2015 at the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Photo: NCDOT
A new report finds that if steps aren’t taken immediately to fight climate change in the state, it will come out of the pockets of North Carolinians over the next 20 to 30 years.
The Environmental Defense Fund commissioned RTI International to look at the short-term financial ramifications if no urgent action is taken to curb climate-warming pollution. The report, “Climate Change in North Carolina: Near-term Impacts on Society and Recommended Actions,” is a 56-page document released Dec. 14 by the independent, nonprofit research and development institute in the Research Triangle Park.