Wind Turbine

The Outer Banks wind energy  project continues to make progress.   It was recently announced that Army Corps of Engineers has asked Duke Energy to perform an environmental impact assessment.   To begin the assessment process, Duke Energy will be holding a public meeting this month to discuss the project.

The meeting will be held in the town of Manteo, and the new environmental impact study will be the main topic of discussion.  A Duke Energy spokesperson mentioned that the project is contingent on permits and that there is no specific start date for the project.  The meeting will serve as a means of letting locals voice their opinions and express their concerns.

In addition, Duke Energy is currently working in conjunction with UNC Chapel Hill to conduct a demonstration project.  The purpose of the demonstration project is to determine the feasibility of offshore wind turbines off the North Carolina coast.  The demonstration project is capped by North Carolina statute at three offshore turbines.  A UNC representative points out that a small demonstration project like this has the potential to move forward more quickly than larger projects and could be the first offshore wind project built in the United States.