Last week, the wind industry celebrated a major milestone as Apex Clean Energy’s Timbermill Wind project began commercial operation in Chowan County, North Carolina. This 189 MW wind project — 45 turbines across 6,000 acres of farmland and managed timberland — will produce enough renewable energy to power up to 61,000 homes annually. The energy generated will be provided to Google through a power purchase agreement.

The NCUC issued an order accepting Duke Energy’s combined CPIRP and directs Duke Energy to take reasonable and prudent steps towards the development of offshore and land based wind in the Carolinas, including:

• Administering an offshore wind ARFI in early 2025 for up to 2,400 MW of offshore wind resource options

• Procuring 1,200 MW of onshore wind to achieve commercial operation by 2033, including at least 300 MW targeted for commercial operation by 2031.  

 This month, the South Carolina Department of Commerce announced the release of the South Carolina Offshore Wind Supply Chain Study. The purpose of the study is to provide South Carolina’s legislators, businesses, and industry organizations with insights on how South Carolina can further support and benefit from the growth of the U.S. offshore wind industry and supply chain.

Richmond, VA – The Department of the Interior has auctioned two offshore Wind Energy Areas in the Central Atlantic. Congratulations to Equinor Wind US, LLC for winning Area A-1 off Delaware Bay and Dominion Energy for winning Area C-1 off the Virginia coast. These areas could power over 2.2 million homes in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware with clean energy.

Richmond, VA - Virginia is continuing its path to becoming a hub for the global offshore wind supply chain with today’s announcement of a new manufacturing facility coming to the Commonwealth. LS GreenLink USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of LS Cable & System, will invest $681 million to build a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable manufacturing facility in the City of Chesapeake. This investment is set to create over 330 full-time jobs, bolstering the local economy and reinforcing Virginia’s position as a leader in the offshore wind industry. 

Richmond, VA - Today, the Department of the Interior released a Final Sale Notice (FSN) for two offshore wind lease areas in the Central Atlantic, marking an important step on the path to continued offshore wind development in the region. On August 14, 2024, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold an auction for wind energy areas (WEAs) in the Central Atlantic that have the potential to provide more than 6.3 gigawatts (GWs) of clean, reliable energy to millions of residents. 

Tunica County, MS – Today the wind industry celebrated a major milestone as the first wind farm in the state of Mississippi officially began operations. Owned by Virginia-based AES, Delta Wind is a 184.5 MW project located in Tunica County, Mississippi. Energy generated from the project – enough to power more than 80,000 homes – is being purchased by online retailer Amazon, and will go towards meeting that organization’s goal to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. The project is located on privately-held agricultural land that will continue to be used to farm rice, corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Raleigh, NC – In celebration of Global Wind Day on June 15th, the Southeastern Wind Coalition (SEWC) is highlighting the significant strides being made in both onshore and offshore wind energy development in our region. With more than 8 gigawatts (GW) in various stages of development, the Southeast is rapidly becoming a leader in sustainable energy by embracing wind energy and the economic and clean energy opportunities it provides. 

Virginia Beach, Va. - The future of clean energy in the Southeast reaches a significant milestone as the 2.6 gigawatts (GW) Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project commences offshore construction, marking a historic leap towards sustainable energy generation in the region. A project of Richmond-based utility Dominion Energy, CVOW represents a groundbreaking venture that combines proven clean energy technology with a long-term commitment to environmental stewardship. As the largest offshore wind project in the country, CVOW demonstrates the potential that clean energy has in the Southeast and provides a roadmap for continued offshore wind deployment in the region. 

New Orleans, LA - “Louisianans will be building offshore wind construction and supply vessels. They will be doing underwater surveys and engineering work. They will be manufacturing and assembling the turbines. The cumulative effect will be high-paying jobs with bright futures.”  

New Orleans, La. — A report released today shows that Louisiana businesses and workers stand to benefit from the expansion of offshore wind nationally and in the Gulf of Mexico. The report, “Louisiana Offshore Wind Supply Chain Assessment,” released by the Southeastern Wind Coalition, Greater New Orleans Inc., the Center for Planning Excellence, and The Pew Charitable Trusts in collaboration with global energy consultancy Xodus Group, offers recommendations to help Louisiana tap into its wealth of energy expertise and capacity to build offshore wind in U.S. waters.

Raleigh, N.C. – On April 17th, the North Carolina Public Staff (Public Staff) filed a motion with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC or the Commission) requesting approval for the development and issuance of an expedited Acquisition Request for Information (ARFI) for offshore wind as part of the Carbon Plan IRP process. Duke Energy had previously requested that the Commission approve their plans to issue an ARFI in early 2025 for up to 2,400 MW of offshore wind off the coast of North Carolina “to better determine the cost and availability of offshore wind resource options for the Companies’ customers on the timelines identified in the Plan.” 

New Orleans, LA. – Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released a Potential Sale Notice (PSN) for the second wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM2). BOEM is proposing to auction four areas offshore from Louisiana and Texas, totaling 410,060 acres on the Outer Continental Shelf.