The frequency of new offshore wind farm projects has heightened as the global focus on renewable energy and improving our environmental impact continues to gain traction. Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation’s (OBOE) strategy for developing offshore wind energy in North Carolina comes at a time when the call for renewable energy goes all the way up to the White House, where President Obama has made a push for renewable energy, including the development and operation of offshore wind farms in the United States. There are a number of proposed domestic offshore wind farms (including those in New Jersey and Delaware), and in a North Carolina climate so hospitable to offshore wind energy, OBOE already has begun work to make offshore wind power available.

The United States has yet to host any constructed and operating offshore wind farms. However, we are able to draw upon and learn from the experiences of other markets – specifically, the European Union – where turbines have been forced offshore due to limited availability of suitable land. We know now that the wind capacity is significantly greater offshore, and with better offshore wind turbine technology, larger turbines can be erected and provide more clean energy.

The United Kingdom and Denmark are generally regarded as the world’s leaders in offshore wind energy, with a bevy of farms on hand, including the largest in the world – Lynn and Inner Dowsing, off the coast of Lincolnshire, England. Recently completed, Lynn and Inner Dowsing’s 54 turbines have a capacity of 194 megawatts, enough to power 130,000 homes. To compare, there currently are at least 10 proposed U.S. offshore wind farms with expected individual capacities meeting or exceeding 200 megawatts.

OBOE has the significant advantage of experience to implement its offshore wind project in North Carolina. We know the distance from the coastline that will yield the minimal visual impact, based on turbine specifications and analysis of other completed projects as well as visual studies. And we have been able to review the environmental impact to date from those projects and determine the comprehensive set of studies needed to ensure an environmentally sensitive plan.

The end result is that we now have an incredible bank of resources at our fingertips, such as the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and business relationships with other developers, contractors, suppliers and consultants. We possess the key components needed to create and implement an abundant resource that benefits the greatest number of consumers. The people of North Carolina can rest assured that its future in offshore wind energy will be guided using the best practices and principles we have learned along the way.

There is significant change happening within the energy industry. As time progresses and the need for a dynamic shift in energy policy becomes more apparent, the old model of providing energy is giving way to innovative ideas and technologies designed to rethink our methods for supplying North Carolina with sufficient and reliable energy.

It is with this goal in mind that the Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation (OBOE), whose strategy is to develop an Offshore Energy Preserve in North Carolina, came to fruition. We understand two distinct truths:

1)     Today’s energy policies and development must include greater social and environmental standards and practices; and

2)     Our state possesses the offshore wind resources capable of setting a high benchmark and steering the need for the country’s and state’s energy independence in the proper direction.

The environmental footprint of an offshore wind farm is significantly smaller than its fossil-fuel counterpart. President Obama’s energy initiatives call for drastic changes in the U.S. energy landscape, and OBOE and other offshore wind farm projects will help satisfy the nation’s Renewable Energy direction. Pollutants are nonexistent or at a minimum for offshore wind farms. Wind turbines do not expend natural resources (except wind, of course). Hazardous waste is eliminated. The social and environmental benefits are numerous, a statement which is backed by hard evidence gathered from offshore wind farms already in operation, mostly in Europe.

Several key scientific and environmental phenomena intersect at a crucial juncture – our coast’s offshore space. The Gulf Stream creates a perfect opportunity, with conditions that satisfy the needs of an offshore wind farm. Off North Carolina’s coast, energetic winds are found in locations that are not visually imposing. We are fortunate to have these resources available in our backyard.

Our ultimate goal is to develop an Offshore Energy Preserve that will provide electrical power through a hybrid approach, involving wind turbines, wave power and Gulf Stream current turbines. We are engaged in discussions with North Carolina utility companies, and the feedback is clear – there is support within the state’s energy industry for this kind of progressive action in order to meet the future needs of North Carolina.

The call to action for wind energy in the U.S. is increasingly tangible. Our national wind energy industry installed 8.5 billion watts (or 8.5 gigawatts) of new generating capacity last year – a move that channeled $17 billion back into the nation’s economy. OBOE’s Offshore Wind Energy Project will yield tremendous benefits for North Carolina and its residents and businesses, by supplying plentiful and reliable electric power and by pumping millions of dollars into the state and local economies.

We encourage you to continue following OBOE through this blog as the move toward offshore wind energy in North Carolina gains traction. We are excited about the opportunity to enhance our state’s energy infrastructure, lessening its environmental footprint and bringing money into the state’s economy – an opportunity that is built on the strong support for Renewable Energy.