Executive order threatens approved N.C. offshore wind farms
North Carolina has a massive amount of offshore wind potential. In the coastal regions, consistent and strong winds rank N.C. the second state in the nation for offshore wind potential. A study conducted by UNC-Chapel Hill and the North Carolina General Assembly revealed that North Carolina has the greatest wind energy potential on the east coast.
North Carolina’s Wind Farm Potential
In 2021, Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order promoting wind farms. The order outlined the economic and clean energy potential for North Carolina, with job security and net-zero emissions as motivating factors. The first onshore wind project was approved in 2023, and the implementing company had been working for eight years to get that approval. Permitting offshore wind farms includes considerations for marine life, including endangered species, and is a complex and thoughtful process. The onshore project is set to be built in Chowan County and inject millions of dollars into Chowan’s economy for at least 30 years. Chowan, like many eastern North Carolina counties, has a large African American (>30%) population and faces economic challenges. This project is said to be able to power over 47,000 homes. Offshore wind farms could power even more homes and companies have an approval model to follow from the onshore wind project.
Federal Policy Shift and Its Impact
In January 2025, the Trump administration signed an executive order to temporarily halt all offshore wind projects. The executive order cites marine life and making the United States a leader in energy as reasons to halt these projects. These reasons contrast heavily with previous state initiatives for offshore wind projects. North Carolina, like many other states, has net-zero carbon emission goals and wants to be a leader in clean energy. When offshore wind approvals were allowed, the process and wait time was nearly a decade; however, with this temporary halting, we are looking at additional years of waiting. This limits energy access in many Black and rural areas of eastern North Carolina. This also causes previously invested companies to lose interest in offshore wind, causing economic loss to North Carolina. Only if or when this “halt” is lifted can we assess the damage and loss this caused North Carolina communities.
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Alana Petifer
Environmental Justice Associate