As noted in an August article in the Carteret County News-Times, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Wind Study, entitled “Coastal Wind: Energy for North Carolina’s Future”, painted a bright portrait of the state’s potential for offshore wind energy. One of the Study’s authors, Dr. Pete Peterson of the UNC-CH Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, gave an overview of the Study to the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission on Aug. 27. The UNC Study, which was commissioned by the state General Assembly, focused both on the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds and North Carolina’s coastal ocean region. It found a number of potential offshore wind farm sites to be suitable for energy production.

The comprehensive, 378-page UNC Study provides research on wind power estimation, environmental and biological impacts, utility transmission infrastructure and regulatory barriers. It highlights target areas for wind production and walks through several of North Carolinians’ shared concerns, such as how to alleviate potential risk to bird and fish populations and the immediate ecosystem. The report ultimately found that “North Carolina is well positioned to develop utility scale wind energy production and it is the opinion of the project team that the State should pursue it aggressively.” It also provides several recommendations for the state in order to facilitate successful offshore wind facilities.

The OBOE team is excited to see North Carolina’s academic community rally behind the idea of bringing offshore wind to our coast. We especially enjoy Dr. Peterson’s quote in the News-Times article: “As oil is associated with the coast of Alaska, wind power is North Carolina’s baby.” The offshore wind industry is poised to make great strides in North America, and North Carolina has a tremendous opportunity to take the lead and provide clean energy to our citizens.

OBOE’s independent research has pinpointed possible strategic locations for our offshore wind farm. We are pleased to see that the UNC study’s findings reinforce our conclusions about the feasibility of offshore wind power in North Carolina. Using this study, we will be able to further refine our approach, and the new information contained in the report should encourage the state to continue to support the positive transformation of our portfolio of energy resources through offshore wind power.

For more information on Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation, contact us at media@oboec.com.

A study with North Carolina ties provides the good news for clean energy workers. The paper, co-authored by Steven Sumner of the Medical Center at Duke University and Peter Layde, co-director of the Injury Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a professor in the school’s Department of Population Health, weighs the health hazards posed by working on fossil fuels versus three clean energy sources – wind, solar and biomass. Wind energy work was judged safer than work in fossil fuels.

So what made wind power exceed fossil fuels’ safety record? The latter calls for mining, an industry that more frequently faces risk than the construction operations associated with building and establishing wind turbines and other items needed to generate wind power. In fact, the report notes that if the proliferation of renewable energy sources continues, as many as 1,300 workers’ deaths might be avoided within a decade. And 700,000 of those working in the energy sector might reap the health benefits of the United States’ continued expansion into renewable energy.

The study on workers’ health is the latest piece of good news for the offshore wind industry, which enjoys a number of benefits – reduced waste output, less impact on natural resources and improved environmental impact. The report’s findings, however, will not translate without public support for the transition to greater reliance upon clean energy sources like offshore wind.

The improved health and safety conditions associated with clean energy sources, such as wind power, contribute to Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation’s (OBOE) excitement in moving forward with our offshore wind farm. Our plans call for extensive testing and safety measures in order to ensure that risk to our workers and to the environment are greatly reduced. We recognize the value of providing a health and safety benefit not only to the North Carolinians who use power generated from our offshore wind farm, but also to the people who work to make our project possible.

For more information on Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation, contact us at media@oboec.com.

An Aug. 3 Forbes special report discusses perhaps the biggest obstacle standing in the way of renewable energy: funding. As the article notes, limited financing has slowed U.S. wind growth from 8,300 megawatts in 2008 to a projected 4,000 to 6,000 megawatts this year. Tax relief has dissipated. The cost associated with technology and infrastructure has proven overwhelming for many.

This should not be the case. Despite troubled economic times, renewable energy should be considered an investment in our future. The offshore wind farm that OBOE plans to place off North Carolina’s coast will help our state meet its energy needs while providing a clean source of power that advances the nation’s progress towards energy independence and good climate stewardship.

As Ed Lowe, general manager for renewables market development at General Electric, says in the Forbes article, “What’s really been the driver… for wind has been effective policy.” An Aug. 3 column by GE chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt and John Doerr, partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in the Washington Post similarly suggests that policy shifts will be needed to overcome increased competition in green technology. They recommend that the United States demonstrate more clearly that it values clean energy through policy reform. Otherwise, the authors note, we will continue to lag behind China and other countries who are making great strides in their renewable energy efforts.

What both pieces ultimately speak to is the need for an institutional about-face on things like wind power. The team at OBOE is excited about diving into offshore wind off the coast of North Carolina, but to be successful, we will need support and commitment from all sectors, including the government. It is a new day for wind energy in our state, and with the right support in place, OBOE’s Offshore Wind Farm can provide a great benefit to North Carolinians.

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.

According to an article by Gail Kalinoski in the July issue of North American Windpower, the study, completed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), determined that wind energy poses low to moderate potential risks to wildlife. Wind power outperformed five other types of energy generation – coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and hydro – in limiting contributions to wildlife risks.

The study, “Comparison of Reported Effects and Risks to Vertebrate Wildlife from Six Electricity Generation Types in the New York/New England Region,” took a comprehensive look at the entire project life cycle for each source of energy. “Resource extraction, fuel transportation, construction of the facility, power generation, transmission and delivery, and decommissioning of the facility” were all taken into account during the study.

The results get to the heart of why projects like OBOE’s Offshore Wind Preserve are so important – through offshore wind, we can provide reliable electricity to North Carolina while seeing a considerable reduction in our environmental footprint. As we have mentioned before, North Carolina has a unique opportunity to host an offshore wind farm in suitable conditions; the fact that wind energy is less intrusive upon its surroundings makes for an even stronger case.

Studies like the NYSERDA report serve as a launch pad for research and planning for improved wind farms, like the OBOE Offshore Wind Preserve, in the coming years. We have an increasingly clearer understanding of how to protect the marine and air-based species who call the waters off North Carolina’s coast home. Protecting birds and fish that frequently travel through the proposed sites of OBOE’s wind farm is a high priority. Our plans call for extensive avian and aquatic environmental studies in order to preserve, protect and enhance the environment for fish and other wildlife.

We are excited to bring to North Carolina a project that gives residents a great source of clean energy and pumps dollars back into the state and local economy. But since we are also part of the community to which we contribute, we understand the importance of retaining our environmental vitality. Promoting wind power as an energy source is a great start, but it is only the beginning of energy independence for North Carolina and the United States.

More than 1,900 members strong, the American Wind Energy Association represents wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers and others in promoting the importance of wind energy in the United States. It plays a major role in shaping domestic policy on the future of wind production, and is a hub of resources for start-up projects such as OBOE. Simultaneously, the organization does a fantastic job of educating the public on the benefits associated with greater wind power production in order to meet the energy needs of businesses and consumers. In addition, OBOE is a member of the AWEA Offshore Wind Working Group. This group focuses on the key issues and development opportunities and challenges that are unique to offshore wind projects.

We mentioned in an earlier post that AWEA was one of the many resources critical to the success of projects such as OBOE. It is true that groups such as AWEA clear the path for initiatives like our planned Offshore Wind Farm to become a reality. Through networking such as the annual WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, the organization is able to convene the industry’s top business and regulatory leaders in order to share their expertise. Held in May, WINDPOWER 2009 saw more than 23,000 attendees. (Mark your calendars for May 23-26, 2010, when the WINDPOWER conference comes to the Dallas Convention Center.)

We want to continue to form strategic partnerships with groups like AWEA to help ensure that our plans to bring an offshore wind farm to North Carolina’s coast run smoothly and benefit the maximum number of people. Our aims are to provide the most technologically-advanced wind farm available and to deliver clean energy to the local transmission grid that is reliable and cost effective. We want North Carolinians to take pride in our Offshore Wind Project as a benchmark of success and a litmus test by which future offshore wind projects are measured.

In North Carolina, a revolving loan fund and competitive grants will provide affordable loans to organizations promoting new projects. And the state’s higher education systems will implement a more rigorous training and workforce program.

The federal ARRA legislation includes positive language for the renewable energy industry, among other provisions going toward higher education, infrastructure and healthcare. Its stated energy goal is to provide during the next three years the capital necessary to double U.S. renewable energy capacity.

The $30 million in announced funding is fantastic news for North Carolinians. Only three other states – California, Missouri and New Hampshire – received funding for energy programs. (About $150 million total was earmarked as part of the ARRA state energy initiative.) This significant investment will help accelerate the pace in creating projects like the offshore wind preserve that Outer Banks Ocean Energy (OBOE) has planned.

The federal government has taken an important step in distributing ARRA funds in a calculated manner to states who have demonstrated the capacity to become clean energy leaders. Now it is up to North Carolina to fulfill that expectation.

Through OBOE, we have a wonderful opportunity to give customers a much-needed boost through a clean, efficient technology. Our offshore hybrid energy preserve will harness ocean wind energy and, as time goes on, ocean wave and current power.

Once the state demonstrates that it has successfully implemented its State Energy Program plan, it will receive another $38 million from ARRA. That funding will have a profound impact that will leave a lasting impression on our energy infrastructure. North Carolinians will be part of the federal stimulus funds that will be allocated into a growth industry that now is equipped to blaze a path for offshore wind power in the United States.

Finding available offshore space for wind farms proves more challenging in the United States. The costs associated with connecting an offshore wind farm to the electrical transmission grid on land rise significantly as a site is positioned farther offshore and farther from critical shoreside interconnection locations. Most of the focus to date has been on the northern end of the U.S. eastern seaboard, particularly around the coastal areas of New England.

North Carolina offers the superb offshore wind resources necessary for a productive offshore wind farm. It is our belief that an efficient and effective project can be completed off our coast.

The reason why the coastal winds are energetic becomes apparent when looking at some basic oceanography. The Gulf Stream follows the outer edge of the Continental Shelf along the East Coast, from Florida to Cape Hatteras. The shelf is wide across northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. But as one enters North Carolina, the shelf narrows considerably, allowing the warm Gulf Stream to flow closer to the coastline. Since warm Gulf Stream water has an amplifying effect on the low-level winds much of the time, the Stream’s position close to the North Carolina coast helps provide for more energetic winds there.

Most wind power experts agree that the available coastal areas between Massachusetts and the North Carolina-South Carolina border are of the highest quality for offshore wind farm placement. This area has the potential to generate hundreds of gigawatts of electrical power for a region that consumes almost a quarter of the nation’s electricity. The newly-formed Outer Banks Ocean Energy Corporation (OBOE) has identified regions along the North Carolina coast with wind capacity comparable to those areas in Europe successfully operating offshore wind farms. By many studies, the North Carolina winds are among the most favorable for energy production.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s report that wind power can supply 20 percent of the nation’s electricity by 2030 suggests an aggressive growth strategy for offshore wind. With the government’s recent policy shifts, there has been an influx of exploratory leases, including those in New Jersey and Delaware. Thanks to an offshore environment highly conducive to wind production, North Carolina has a tremendous opportunity to set the pace and standard for an American Wind Energy Renaissance.

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.

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.