Breezy solutions: why wind power is the answer to saving money, jobs and lives along North Carolina’s coast

When I think of North Carolina, I recall the strange and exciting new home that I’ve found at Duke since my arrival this past September. However, until very recently, going “down to Carolina” was for me—as it is for many families—synonymous to going to the beach. Those of us lucky enough to have spent childhood vacations chasing sand-fiddlers and splashing in the surf along the Outer Banks can attest to the importance of the tourism industry in this state—the lines at the beach-side ice-cream stands alone are evidence enough. We can also attest that a quintessential part of the experience is the wind— a force that can send towels, and occasionally umbrellas, dancing down the coastline.

Pressure from local groups as well as from the federal government has prompted proposals to harness wind power in an effort to satisfy North Carolina’s growing demand for sustainable energy. These proposals have remained controversial, primarily due to the fear that the wind-turbines would obstruct the view of the state’s scenic coastline, upsetting locals and discouraging tourists. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that the benefits of wind power outweigh any potential loss in scenic value.

A 2010 report put out by the North Carolina Energy Policy Council and the North Carolina Energy Office noted that the state’s energy market, already one of the nation’s largest, has been growing at a faster rate than that of the nation as a whole—a trend which continues today. While the state has been investing in a number of new sources to keep up with demand, the two with the most potential for significant impact are offshore drilling and wind power.

The push for drilling off North Carolina’s beaches was slowed in 2011 when the then-Governor Bev Perdue vetoed a pro-drilling Senate bill, largely because of the national concern provoked by the 2010 British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Today, however, the political climate has cooled and newly elected Senator Thom Tillis, among others, has voiced his strong support for drilling. While the potentially devastating risks of drilling have been well-documented in recent years, the fear of rising energy prices and the desire to work towards energy independence have proven persuasive arguments for those who agree with Tillis.

The lack of sustainable energy is one of the most serious issues that North Carolina must face in the coming decades and, as advocates of drilling have stated, some risk is worthwhile in the search for a solution. However, drilling is not the only risk that the state has the option to invest in. The blow that wind-turbines might strike to the tourism industry pales in comparison to the threat of an oil spill, particularly considering just how much potential energy those breezes have to offer.

According to a study by Oceana, an international advocacy group for ocean conservation, just 20 years of offshore wind production could easily generate “the equivalent of over half a billion barrels of oil more than all of North Carolina’s economically recoverable oil and gas.” Furthermore, the development of offshore wind could be expected to create over 48,000 local jobs, or about 25, 000 more than oil drilling would likely provide. Equally important, as the authors of the study note, is the fact that while oil is a limited resource, North Carolina will never run out of wind.

The dangers posed by drilling far outweigh those posed by turbines, and this alone makes a persuasive case for investing in the latter. While it’s hard to estimate the creation of new jobs, it’s certain that fishing, tourism and recreation currently represent 51,000 jobs and generate nearly $2.2 billion in GDP in North Carolina. The installation of wind turbines would likely have a modest detrimental effect on tourism, but it is nothing compared to the fall-out from an oil spill. Even if the state is lucky enough to avoid this calamity, there is no way to avoid the impact of Seismic air-gun blasting, the first step in old drilling, on local wildlife. The loud blasts are documented as severely disrupting the behavior and communication of many forms of aquatic life, in particular dolphins and endangered North Atlantic right whales, of which only 500 remain.

The good news is that while the push for offshore drilling has recently been reinvigorated, the push for the development of wind power is also moving forward. On a Federal level the Obama Administration’s Smart from the Start offshore wind energy initiative has proposed to lease more than 300,000 acres for development off the coast of North Carolina. Despite resistance and recent setbacks, the completion of an environmental assessment last week bodes well for the future of the project. A 30 day public comment period began on Jan 23, so now is the time to speak out in support of this project. The future of North Carolina’s beaches is in our hands.