Of the many factors motivating Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation (OBOE) and its plans to develop an offshore wind farm, perhaps none is as refreshing to us as North Carolina’s enthusiasm about clean energy. Our state has demonstrated openness to alternative sources of energy that bring power to residents and businesses, while limiting our environmental footprint. As OBOE’s first renewable energy project, an offshore wind farm in North Carolina will continue this trend.
Most recently, the city of Raleigh and Progress Energy agreed to construct a 10-acre solar power farm on city property, according to a recent Raleigh Telegram article. Plans call for a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) array to be developed by Progress, Southern Energy of Morrisville and NxGen Power of Charlotte. The article notes that the project will be the first utility-scale solar farm located on municipal property in the state.
Progress Energy also is developing a project that will construct small wind turbines, called “microturbines,” on select rooftops within the state, per a recent article in Triangle Business Journal. The article notes that the city of Raleigh has confirmed that it is researching how to implement microturbines throughout the city.
The state has several support organizations available to ensure that the trend toward clean energy continues to grow. Groups such as NC GreenPower and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association provide excellent resources to clean energy startups looking to improve the way we power the state. Specific to wind power, the North Carolina Wind Energy program of the Appalachian State University Energy Center provides valuable research and support.
With the federal government’s charge to supply 20 percent of the nation’s electricity through clean energy by 2030, North Carolinians should expect projects like these to grow in rank. Our offshore wind farm will contribute to the state’s growth and demand for clean energy, and we will provide power to North Carolina residents and businesses, while adhering to environmentally sound practices.
It is important that North Carolina stay proactive now. The rest of the country is moving at an accelerated pace, according to the Lawrence Berkley National Lab and the U.S. Department of Energy’s recently released annual wind energy industry report. The United States continues to lead the world in annual capacity growth; for the fourth straight year, we saw the most wind capacity additions of any country, capturing about 30 percent of the global market share. And the cumulative wind capacity installed in the United States at the end of 2008 has the ability to supply 1.9 percent of the nation’s average electricity consumption.
North Carolina, with its esteemed universities and innovative science investments, boasts a progressive track record and a commitment to staying on the cutting edge. This includes energy; we must make our resources more environmentally friendly. The OBOE staff believes that North Carolina is a perfect host for one of the United States’ groundbreaking offshore wind farms, and we are excited about leading a positive transformation in the state’s energy practices.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
The more aggressive that the state is on the development of these projects the more directly the state employment gains will become.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:22 am
What excites me about What OBOE is proposing is that the energy sources that they want to harness are the only sources at this point that have the potential to replace baseload coal generation on a 24/7 basis. Solar, the majority of inland wind, and other recognized sources are limited at best with or without some sort of storage. For a reneable power source to be useful on ant type of commercial scale, it needs to be capable of generating a dependable and sausatainable spinning reserve. I am all for it.
May 18th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
We at EPAOC.COM Have a 5 phase solar project that we are still awaiting funding for the project is about 5 months away. The end result will be a 1.44 mw System We are also trying to help property owners and local corprations to provide a clean energy production on a local level as well contact us at http:mymillionsite.org from our contact location if you know of or wish to go green.