Today, the North Carolina Department of Commerce announced the release of the NC Taskforce for Offshore Wind Economic Resource Strategies’ (NC TOWERS) final report to Governor Roy Cooper and the N.C. General Assembly.
This report, which was directed by Executive Order 218, provides a blueprint on how to prepare North Carolina’s workforce to secure jobs in the offshore wind industry, businesses to enter the supply chain, and communities across the state to benefit from the economic impact of the industry. Additionally, the report includes accomplishments by the Taskforce over the past three years along with recommendations to the General Assembly for legislative actions to position the state to receive part of the more than $200 billion in capital expenditures that the Atlantic Coast offshore wind pipeline – and its supply chain – are expected to bring to East Coast states over the next 12 years.
“North Carolina is uniquely positioned to attract billions of dollars in economic investment and the tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs from the offshore wind industry,” said Governor Cooper. “Targeted investments in North Carolina’s ports, supply chain development and workforce training programs will help our state secure our share of the benefits the offshore wind industry is already bringing to East Coast states.”
“There are 30 offshore wind projects already in production or under development along the East Coast,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. “There are more than 8,000 parts in a single turbine. And thousands of these parts are small enough to be manufactured anywhere in North Carolina. They can then be shipped out of one of our two deep water ports to projects up and down the Atlantic Coast.”
“North Carolina has the largest manufacturing presence on the East Coast – and the highly skilled workforce to go with it,” said Taskforce Chair and Commerce Chief of Staff Marqueta Welton. “Our NC TOWERS report includes key recommendations to help workers and businesses transition into the clean energy economy.”
The report contains legislative recommendations for the General Assembly to consider in the 2025 Session including: enacting legislation to help the state meet its zero carbon goals and codifying the offshore wind development goals of 2.8 GW by 2030 and 8 GW by 2040; and appropriating up to $50 million to support improvements to Radio Island at the Port of Morehead City to facilitate offshore wind economic development opportunities at the site.
Read the NC TOWERS Final Report.
Read Executive Order 218.