Navy concerns eliminate 700-square-mile zone from offshore wind development

Military concerns are behind a recent setback for offshore wind development in North Carolina.

A potential wind lease area – a 700-square-mile zone about 30 miles off the coast near Kitty Hawk – was taken out of consideration by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) due to concerns from the U.S. Navy and Air Force that wind turbines could interfere with operations, including pilot training on aircraft carriers.

"[Offshore wind development] will take more time and we are disappointed that it wasn’t the outcome we hoped for at this time, but we believe there is hope and there will be a different outcome on the horizon,” said Machelle Baker Sanders, Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

BOEM made an announcement last week to exclude North Carolina from final plans for approved wind energy areas in the central Atlantic, instead choosing offshore wind areas off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia to advance to the next stages in the federal regulatory process.

Marqueta Welton, chairwoman of the North Carolina Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies (NC TOWERS), said that decision would not will not slow the state’s momentum towards ambitious goals for the industry. North Carolina aims to generate nearly three gigawatts of power from offshore wind by 2030.

"We want to make sure that military readiness is not compromised by the location of different towers," Welton said.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has predicted that offshore wind and associated industries could bring 85,000 jobs and $140 billion in investment along the Atlantic Coast by 2035.

“We still have an area that’s still being considered, and it doesn’t compromise the areas that are already being developed – Kitty Hawk and Carolina Long Bay," Welton said. "We’re really excited still about the opportunities moving forward with development there but also looking at what is viable.”

The task force met with military leaders on Thursday to discuss reducing conflicts and maximizing workforce development.