SEWC Statement on Public Staff Motion Requesting Expedited Acquisition RFI for Offshore Wind
For Immediate Release: April 25, 2024
Media Contact: Katharine Kollins, katharinek@sewind.org, 303-564-9687
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.”
The Southeastern Wind Coalition strongly supports the Public Staff’s request that the Commission issue an order requiring Duke Energy to proceed with the development and issuance of the ARFI for the three offshore wind areas off the coast of North Carolina on an expedited basis. Offshore wind is a predictable resource with the potential to generate reliable energy on the gigawatt scale. The complementary generation profiles of offshore wind and solar energy will support a diverse energy grid with the capacity to meet North Carolina’s increased energy forecasts and carbon reduction goals.
SEWC’s Katharine Kollins provided the following statement: “Expediting the offshore wind Acquisition RFI is unequivocally in the best interest of North Carolina electricity consumers. North Carolina needs utility-scale generation that can address increasing energy demand and carbon reduction goals in a reliable and affordable manner. Offshore wind can do exactly that, but we need the state to ramp up its efforts to create certainty for those projects in the near term.”
Kollins added: “The Investment Tax Credit offers offshore wind projects a 30-50% tax credit through 2032, which could offer significant savings and value to North Carolina’s utility customers. North Carolina needs near-term development actions in order to guarantee access to those incentives.”
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)3 that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on supply chain growth, economic development, job growth, and wind energy development in the region with solutions that are beneficial to industry, and utilities, and result in net economic benefits to citizens and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition visit http://www.sewind.org.
