DENR head doesn’t want to see wind turbines from the beach – WECT

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) –

Gov. Pat McCrory has been outspoken in his support of alternative energy, but his administration’s top environmental official recently staked a position that has wind energy officials scratching their heads.

In a Feb. 23 letter, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Donald van der Vaart asked the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management not to offer wind farm lease sales within 24 nautical miles of the coast.

He was specifically concerned with two areas off the coast of New Hanover and Brunswick counties that have been identified for possible wind production.

Van der Vaart pointed to independent studies he said showed that visible offshore energy projects negatively affect tourism.

“While the employment rate in Brunswick and New Hanover counties are down by five percentage points since Governor McCrory took office in January 2013, it remains important that our coastal economies continue to improve,” van der Vaart wrote.

Brian O’Hara, president of the non-profit Southeastern Wind Coalition, said pushing wind farms farther offshore would drive up the expense and likely drive the industry elsewhere.

“The practical impact is that we probably wouldn’t see offshore wind development in North Carolina for quite some time,” he said.

O’Hara explained that installing turbines in deeper water involves costlier construction, and it takes maintenance crews longer to reach the wind farms. They also have to run more cable to transport the energy produced.

“This is a huge opportunity for North Carolina in two ways: One, it’s a clean energy source that has no emissions, no ash, no water use and no fuel cost,” O’Hara said. “So it’s a great clean energy source, and on the other hand, it’s also a great economic development opportunity.”

But Rep. Susi Hamilton says she’s not sold on offshore wind energy production.

“We need to preserve the appearance of our beaches to the best of our ability, and I’d like to see more analysis done,” Hamilton said. “I think that North Carolina is a long way away from generating energy though wind resources.”

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