At the end of July, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced three final Wind Energy Areas in the Central Atlantic, none of which ended up in North Carolina.
Governor Roy Cooper responded with a press release today calling the decision “extremely disappointing.”
“It will not slow North Carolina’s momentum in reaching our offshore wind energy goals as we transition to a clean energy economy,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “North Carolina remains committed to becoming the nation’s leader in offshore wind energy and stands ready to work with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to identify alternative solutions to solve this problem.”
According to BOEM, the three final wind energy areas that were approved were in offshore Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland. Those three approved areas were the finalists out of eight in four states, including North Carolina.
All three were in comparatively shallow water, but BOEM may identify additional opportunities for future leasing in deepwater offshore areas, pending further study.
According to the Governor’s office, North Carolina encouraged BOEM to collaborate with the State and stakeholders in this effort to meet offshore wind goals. North Carolina also encouraged BOEM to engage with the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs while completing its assessment of the Central Atlantic Call Area.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that BOEM did those things,” Cooper's office said.
