>> IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, THEN THIS IMAGE
SAYS IT ALL.
THE WINDS ALONG THE OUTER BANKS ARE SOME OF THE STRONGEST AND
MOST SUSTAINABLE ALONG THE ENTIRE EAST COAST.
THE SEABIRDS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WINDS.
THEY STAY ALOFT BY GLIDING AND RIDING THE WINDS, NOT FLAPPING
THEIR WINGS.
THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY IN THE WIND.
BUT HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE.
THOSE WINDS AND WAVES AND BEACHES ATTRACT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF VISITORS EACH YEAR.
>> WE DO HAVE A BOOMING TOURISM INDUSTRY HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA,
AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE TWO
ACTIVITIES CAN COEXIST.
WE -- WE DESPERATELY WANT TO -- TO DEVELOP WIND IN THAT CONTEXT.
>> AND THAT IS THE CHALLENGE.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NORTH CAROLINA'S WIND
ENERGY RESOURCES?
AND, IF SO, HOW CAN THE WIND ENERGY BE COLLECTED WITHOUT
HARMING TOURISM?
THE SOLUTION SO FAR IS TO GO FAR --
FAR OFFSHORE.
>> SO THAT'S WHERE YOU LOOK.
YOU LOOK FOR THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN GET THE STABLE,
CERTAINLY HIGH-SPEED, BUT STABLE WIND TO ALLOW HIGH-CAPACITY
FACTORS FOR THESE TURBINES.
WHEN YOU BUY -- WHEN YOU GO TO THE EXPENSE OF BUYING THESE VERY
LARGE TURBINES AND INSTALLING THEM, YOU'D LIKE FOR THEM TO
PRODUCE POWER AS MUCH OF THE TIME AS POSSIBLE.
>> THE FIRST LEASES ALLOWING WIND TURBINES OFFSHORE OF NORTH
CAROLINA'S COAST ARE EXPECTED TO BE LET IN 2016.
THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT HAS IDENTIFIED
THREE AREAS FOR POTENTIAL LEASES.
ONE IS ABOUT 120,000 ACRES OFF THE OUTER BANKS WHILE THE OTHER
TWO ARE TRACTS OF 130,000 ACRES AND 52,000 ACRES JUST SOUTH OF
WILMINGTON AND EAST OF MYRTLE BEACH.
>> IT ENABLES A LESSEE, A DEVELOPER, TO START TO --
TO START TO ASSESS THE SITE THAT -- THAT THEY'VE LEASED AND
DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT -- IT'S -- CAN BE DONE EFFECTIVELY.
AND IT TAKES AWHILE TO DO THE SITE ASSESSMENT.
IT TAKES AWHILE TO DO THE -- DEVELOP A CONSTRUCTION AND
OPERATIONS PLAN.
AND THAT -- ALL OF THOSE, IN AND OF THEMSELVES, ARE ON THE
NEIGHBORHOOD OF FIVE YEARS OR SO.
SO IT'S SOMETIME AFTER THAT BEFORE THEY'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING
WORKING WIND FARM COMPONENTS.
>> ALL THREE LOCATIONS ARE ABOUT 12 MILES OUT TO SEA.
THAT'S ABOUT 24 NAUTICAL MILES.
AND OFFICIALS SAY THE TURBINES WOULD NOT BE VISIBLE FROM SHORE.
BUT THAT ALSO MAKES THE WIND FARM MUCH MORE COMPLICATED AND
EXPENSIVE TO BUILD, WHICH MEANS MUCH MORE STUDY OF THE LOCATION
AND THE SPECIFIC DESIGNS AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE TURBINES
WILL BE NEEDED.
>> THAT INCLUDES THE ECONOMICS, THE TECHNOLOGICAL FEASIBILITY,
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ACCEPTABILITY, AS WELL AS ANY SOCIAL
OR POLITICAL IMPACTS.
ALL OF THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN MAKING
A FINAL DECISION ON WHAT TO GO FORWARD WITH.
>> AND THEY BASICALLY DEVELOPED A SYSTEM THAT WORKS RELATIVELY
WELL ON LAND.
ANYTHING WE DO IN THE OCEAN IS GOING TO BE A LOT DIFFERENT IN
TERMS OF FOUNDATIONS, IN TERMS OF THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL
FORCES, THE IMPACT OF HOW WE WOULD CONNECT SOMETHING IN THE
OCEAN TO THE GRID, AND THE -- LET'S SAY THE EFFECT OF THAT
CONNECTION ELECTROMAGNETICALLY ON THE ORGANISMS THAT ARE LIVING
IN THE OCEAN.
>> IT'S LIKELY WIND FARMS WILL BE IN OPERATION OFF THE COASTS
OF RHODE ISLAND AND VIRGINIA BEFORE ANY TURBINES ARE BUILT
OFF NORTH CAROLINA'S COAST.
AND STATE OFFICIALS SAY THAT'S NOT A BAD THING.
>> AND THAT IS JUST TO THE NORTH OF US, AND IT WILL BE 24
NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE.
IT WILL BE A SMALL 13 OR SO MEGAWATT FACILITY.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW OFFSHORE
WIND OPERATES IN OUR KIND OF -- IN HURRICANE ALLEY, SO TO SPEAK.
WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS QUESTION OF A VIEW
SHED AND WHETHER 24 NAUTICAL MILES IS NEEDED TO PROTECT THAT
OR WHETHER THERE'S SOME OTHER NUMBER.
AND WE'RE GOING TO LEARN OTHER THINGS.
SO NORTH CAROLINA'S VERY INTERESTED TO SEE THAT.