Although Duke Energy Carolinas canceled construction of a demonstration wind project with UNC last week, wind turbine farms might still be in the state’s future.
Apex Wind Energy Inc. filed the first federal application to build a large-scale wind farm off the coast of the state.
The Virginia-based company was encouraged in part by a favorable study by UNC about the feasibility of offshore wind power in the state, said Development Manager Karlis Povisils.
“Offshore is where the most reliable wind is,” said Frank Tursi, assistant director of the N.C. Coastal Federation. “That is where the energy should hit if the goal is to provide energy.”
UNC’s study showed North Carolina would be a good place for wind power because of the abundance of wind resource and the minimal environmental conflict, said Harvey Seim, professor of Marine Sciences at UNC.
While wind farms have been installed successfully in Europe in the last decade, a company has yet to develop a project in the United States, Tursi said.
Part of the reason for the lack of turbines in the U.S. is how expensive they are to build, he said.
Duke Energy’s project on the Pamlico Sound was too small to be cost-effective, but a larger offshore development would make more financial sense, said Jason Walls, a spokesman for the company.
Duke Energy has seen interest from commercial developers who want to build large-scale wind farms, Walls said. His company stopped construction of three turbines after it discovered it would be as costly as $88 million for the first structure, he said.