CASWELL BEACH, N.C. – The North Carolina coast is open for business when it comes to clean energy. 

In early 2022, the Biden-Harris administration had a lease sale for offshore wind in the Carolinas. It’s an investment in clean energy that could bring needed jobs to the area, while providing a more environmentally conscious source of energy.

According to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s office, the state has a target of 2.8 gigawatts of energy generation from offshore wind by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040, which is enough to power over two million homes. 

Oceana senior field representative and North Carolina native Randy Sturgill fell in love with the magic of the Atlantic Ocean when he was a child. He said part of caring for one of the great loves of his life is investing in offshore wind. 

“It’s extremely important for North Carolina because we have such a wind potential, and also looking at the jobs it would bring to North Carolina,” Sturgill said. 

But there’s some offshore wind resistance from the surrounding communities. Sturgill said the fishing community has expressed concerns about potential harm to the fish, and nearby property owners worry that the turbines will impact their ocean views. He’s seen visualizations of the proposed turbines and said they will be miles out at sea.  

“On the clearest of clear days, you just can see them over the horizon. Just almost in some of the conditions, not completely perfect, I couldn’t see them at all,” Sturgill said. 

North Carolina doesn’t have any offshore wind turbines as of June 2022, but Sturgill said seeing the project move forward gives him hope for the environment’s future. He hopes his work to protect his beloved ocean will help generations to come. 

“It gives me great pride that North Carolina is moving in a direction like this. I just can’t wait to see the first turbines out there,” Sturgill said. 

According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Biden-Harris administration has plans for several more offshore wind lease sales over the next several years off both coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico.