OAK ISLAND — Leaseholders for future offshore wind locations off the coast of Brunswick County will be performing survey work and collecting data this month.
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TotalEnergies and Duke Energy will be working in the area Aug. 16 to Aug. 31 to collect data for the future employment of met-ocean buoys within the Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease areas.
The survey activity is part of an early-stage evaluation process and expected to last three to five days, depending on weather conditions. The results of the survey will provide information required by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management for site assessment planning.
The process of constructing offshore wind in the area, now announced at 17 nautical miles offshore, started in 2014, with final sales going through March 25, 2022.
A recent report shows North Carolina could bring in $4.6 billion and 10,000 jobs over three years for offshore wind energy.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced last week, North Carolina was not accepted for any future wind leases at this time. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently approved three wind energy areas in the central Atlantic of the coasts of Delaware, Virginia and Maryland, out of eight proposed areas, including those in North Carolina.
The Biden administration has a goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. The three newly announced leases will total 356,550 acres.
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