Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina are teaming up on an effort to kickstart wind energy and economic development off their shores. The new initiative provides a framework for the three states to "cooperatively promote, develop, and expand offshore wind energy and the accompanying industry supply chain and workforce," they said in a joint press release.

Offshore Wind Maryland North Carolina Virginia

At their meeting on Sept. 21, commissioners expressed their intent to extend the moratorium for another six month period since the current one is set to expire on Oct. 6. This would mark the second time that the moratorium has been extended. Commissioners want to extend the moratorium again to give county staff members more time to iron out the details of a new county policy on large solar farms.

Zoning/Planning North Carolina

Altogether, tracts off of the Carolinas could mean $45 billion in investment, the report reads. But interest has been lower in tracts off the Carolinas for several reasons, including “a lack of an offshore mandate … lower power prices, and lower capacity factors.”

Offshore Wind North Carolina

Rather than reprint the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s immortal “Blowing in the Wind” to lead the reader into this story about Chowan County’s wind energy facility ordinance, let’s cut to the chase.

Zoning/Planning North Carolina

One study noted that people who live or work in close proximity to industrial wind turbines experienced symptoms that include “decreased quality of life, annoyance, stress, sleep disturbance, headache, anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction. Some have also felt anger, grief or a sense of injustice. Suggested causes of symptoms include a combination of wind turbine noise, infrasound, dirty electricity, ground current and shadow flicker.” As a result of these findings, several European countries increased the setback requirements for turbines from neighboring properties.

Impact on Landscape Impact on People North Carolina

Avangrid has been working to bring offshore wind to North Carolina since 2017 when it submitted a $9.1 million bid to lease the 122,000-acre tract off the coast of Kitty Hawk Coastal Reserve. But all along executives have said the process will take time. In addition to regulatory hurdles, it’s a complex and expensive project – made even more difficult by the fact that the tract is miles out to sea.

Offshore Wind North Carolina

The study was approved as part of the legislature’s budget, which was vetoed by the governor over other matters.

Offshore Wind North Carolina

That particular program ended in 2016, but investors who had projects in progress could keep taking the credits until they had used them up. Some people involved in solar projects created partnerships not only with energy companies but also with banks, insurance companies and other institutions that essentially bought the tax credits. Then last fall, the Revenue Department said it wasn’t going to allow the tax credits in some of those partnership deals that had been used to pay for solar energy projects.

Taxes & Subsidies North Carolina

A seven-month investigation and numerous public information requests have revealed the move to increase solar power might be leading to an increase in the very emissions alternative energy sources aim to reduce. ...Without any solar power in the mix, “a typical combined cycle combustion turbine emits NOx at approximately 9-11 lb/hr, assuming 24 hours of ‘normal’ operation,” Crawford said. That is equivalent to 264 pounds of NOx emissions daily. When those same plants are operated to supplement solar power facilities, daily emissions more than double to 624 pounds a day, based on a table in Duke’s application.

General North Carolina

Bell said there was enough pushback on a version passed June 24 by the House Committee on Energy and Public Utilities to convince him that a deal can’t be worked out this session. ...Bell said he expected to revisit the bill during the legislature’s short session next year.

Energy Policy North Carolina

ts sponsors, including Sens. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, and Norm Sanderson, R-Pamlico, say the bill is necessary to prevent conflicts between wind turbine projects and military training and safety, which in turn would be seen as a negative by a future Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The legislation, Senate Bill 377, is titled the Military Base Protection Act.

Energy Policy North Carolina

A controversial ban on new wind turbines in all or part of more than 40 counties, including almost all of Eastern North Carolina, advanced in the state legislature Thursday. The bill’s main proponent, Republican Sen. Harry Brown of Jacksonville, said the wind turbine ban is needed to protect airspace for military test flights and to keep military installations in the state.

Energy Policy North Carolina

A recently expired statewide moratorium not only delayed his plans for more than a year, but also nixed Renewable Energy System’s proposal for Tyrrell County in 2017. And new legislation could have an even bigger impact – as it, once again, would essentially prohibit wind farms from being built in eastern North Carolina.

Energy Policy North Carolina

Seymour Johnson's Col. Donn Yates didn't specifically endorse the bill, but he told state senators that he needs "the status quo" to train jet pilots at low altitude in North Carolina. Senate Bill 377 would block windmills across hundreds of square miles in the state, protecting military training runs not only in eastern North Carolina but through a smaller swath of the western part of the state as well.

Safety North Carolina

Information that will be shelved by the mainstream Democrat liberal media is that in rural Iowa where the wind sweeps across the prairie three massive 450-foot high wind turbines are being torn down because their constant noise disrupted the townspeople.

General Iowa North Carolina

Once again, officials in eastern North Carolina say they were not consulted about a just-filed bill that could halt a multi-million dollar project in its tracks.

Energy Policy North Carolina

"The comprehensive mapping effort, if used as a template, should provide the state compatible growth around military installations that doesn’t interfere with ranges and military installation missions," retired Maj. Gen. Robert Dickerson and retired Lt. Gen. Gary McKissock said in a joint statement. "This proposal brings clarity to an issue that may possibly weigh against North Carolina's military installations in future [base closure] evaluations.”

Safety North Carolina

A ban on land-based wind projects expired, but industry leaders say new onshore development isn’t a current priority.

Offshore Wind North Carolina

Giecek says his team had been watching North Carolina lawmakers to see if the moratorium would put momentum behind legislative efforts to squelch wind energy in the state. But that hasn’t happened. Since enacting the controversial moratorium, legislators have been relatively quiet on the wind front.

General North Carolina

As North Carolina lawmakers gather in Raleigh this week for an unusual lame duck session, clean energy advocates are bracing for a potential showdown over wind energy. A controversial ban on new wind farms is supposed to end Jan. 1, but observers fear the ban’s author, state Sen. Harry Brown, will push to extend it or make it permanent before its expiration date.  

Energy Policy North Carolina