CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina has just joined a partnership with two other states to invest, create, and expand offshore wind energy for the coming decades. The Tar Heel State joins Maryland and Virginia to create the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Transformative Partnership for Offshore Wind Energy Resources (SMART-POWER), which will aim to create jobs and energy in the ever-expanding wind energy sector among the three states.
“Offshore wind development combined with our strong solar capacity will bring more high-paying, clean energy jobs to North Carolina while we continue to ramp up our fight against climate change,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “This bipartisan agreement with neighboring states allows us to leverage our combined economic power and ideas to achieve cost-effective success.”
According to the United States Department of Energy (DoE), the newfound alliance could create and support up to 86,000 jobs, $57 billion in new investments, and add $25 billion to the states’ economies by 2030. The agreement also aims to produce at least 86 gigawatts of energy per year by 2050. Currently, North Carolina power customers consume roughly 15 gigawatts in any given year.
Percentage of energy produced by different sources in North Carolina, per energy.gov
“Harnessing the power of offshore wind is key to meeting the urgency of the climate crisis and achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2050,” said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. “Virginia is well-positioned to scale up offshore wind development with a 12-megawatt wind demonstration project already built off our coast. This agreement will help unlock our collective offshore wind resources and generate tremendous economic and environmental benefits for the region. We look forward to working with our partners in Maryland and North Carolina to grow the offshore wind industry and secure a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future.”
According to the DoE, North Carolina currently only produces approximately 60 kilowatts from wind energy every year. Coal, nuclear, and natural gas are the most prevalent forms of energy production in the state.
