Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) led members of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation in calling on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to support North Carolina’s offshore wind industry by encouraging future offshore wind energy development along the Central Atlantic coast. Specifically, the lawmakers are encouraging BOEM to maximize areas viable for fixed-bottom structure turbines, which offer a cost-competitive way to meet our state and national offshore wind goals.

“As members of the North Carolina delegation, we urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Department of Defense (DoD), United States Coast Guard (USCG), and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to work together to maximize the acreage available for fixed-bottom offshore wind development in the Central Atlantic…We are at a pivotal moment in our country’s efforts to both combat the effects of climate change and to support the burgeoning offshore wind industry—a technology that will play an integral role in that fight,” the Members wrote.

The Members continued, “The North Carolina delegation reiterates the need to expand offshore wind’s benefits to coasts outside of the Northeast, as the Southeast and the Carolinas stand ready to manufacture, construct, and operate the next wave of offshore wind projects that will provide family-sustaining wages to our communities and carbon-free energy to our region.”

Congresswoman Ross has championed efforts in Congress to expand offshore wind development. Her legislation to repeal the 10-year moratorium on offshore wind leasing in the Southeast was signed into law last year. Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Kathy Manning (NC-06), and Wiley Nickel (NC-13) joined the letter. Full text of the letter can be found here.