The North Carolina Department of Commerce has hired the London-headquartered BVG Associates to help the agency assess North Carolina’s potential as an offshore wind industry hub.
BVG Associates, which also has offices in Glasgow, Scotland, Boston, and Richmond, Virginia, will help the Department research and develop an inventory of businesses, organizations, and physical infrastructure best positioned to promote offshore wind development in North Carolina.
BVG Associates, which developed a similar study for the State of Virginia, competed against twelve other firms in a competitive bid process to conduct an industry supply chain and infrastructure assessment.
The North Carolina offshore wind supply chain and infrastructure report will help identify and explain the nature of the existing businesses, organizations, and infrastructure in the state that can support the growing offshore wind industry.
The report will show how North Carolina can position itself to compete, as well as pinpoint the state’s advantages for key offshore wind industry segments such as blades, towers, nacelles, substation manufacturing and related equipment manufacturing, as well as project management and development, and construction staging.
The team of experts that will work on the North Carolina assessment also includes representatives from Lloyds Register Energy Americas, Timmons Group, and North Carolina State University.
The move is the latest step in Governor Roy Cooper’s efforts to build a clean energy economy to fight climate change and grow clean-energy jobs in North Carolina.
“Moving to a clean energy economy will bring new jobs and economic growth to North Carolina,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland.
“The Commerce Department’s study will gather the information and insights we need to prepare our infrastructure and our workforce for the future opportunities this promising industry offers us.”
N.C. Commerce’s Office of Science, Technology & Innovation executive director John Hardin added: “North Carolina is well positioned to support utility-scale wind energy.
“The new study will help us focus our efforts on the segments of the industry that are well matched to the strengths of our state.”
North Carolina already features one approved Wind Energy Area (WEA) under lease for development.
The Kitty Hawk WEA, located 24 nautical miles from Corolla, is projected to be able to support 2.5GW of electricity generation.
“It is thrilling to see more states embrace offshore wind, particularly along the Southern East Coast,” said the Business Network for Offshore Wind chief executive Liz Burdock.
“North Carolina is an important market in terms of the development of offshore wind because circumstances allow for streamlined adoption of a new, growing industry… This announcement demonstrates that offshore wind makes sense economically and is a viable solution, particularly for growing states.”
The offshore wind supply chain and infrastructure report is expected to be published later this year.
The state said the assessment would also send an important signal to developers and OEMs that North Carolina is committed to the industry, both as a location for wind energy projects as well as an ideal manufacturing location for projects along the entire eastern seaboard.
In October 2018, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 80 to reaffirm North Carolina’s commitment to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions and support the expansion of clean energy businesses.
Among other actions, the executive order directed the Department of Commerce to support the expansion of clean energy businesses and service providers, encourage clean technology investment, and support companies seeking to procure renewable energy.
Last October the Department of Commerce published an extensive workforce assessment for the clean energy and clean transportation industry sectors which noted the state’s potential for offshore wind development and jobs.