A new report from the North Carolina Department of Commerce confirms the economic value of our state’s vast wind energy potential, not only in turbine installations but in creating a domestic manufacturing supply chain for the entire East Coast.

This Commerce report says North Carolina stands in a position to gain much of the developing East Coast market for wind generation components, supplies, and services — a potential $140 billion market. This industry would support facilities harnessing wind power beyond the Carolina coastline. 

The report forecasts that total East Coast offshore wind energy production can reach 40 gigawatts of power by 2035, drawn from at least two dozen utility-scale wind farms. It discusses existing resources, such as ports, and new ones needed to realize that economic potential.

“These assessments will facilitate North Carolina’s efforts in securing as much of the $140 billion offshore wind opportunity as possible,” said Katharine Kollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition. “As recognized in the report, North Carolina has the largest manufacturing sector in the Southeast and ranks among the highest in the country. Many of these companies are already supplying the land-based wind industry. This work highlights how that advantage will translate into opportunity for those companies to expand, while also creating a new industry for many other North Carolina businesses.”

Opportunities on this scale go only to those who are prepared to seize them. Recognizing that clean, renewable energy — including wind power — is a part of the only viable path to a sustainable future will be necessary for North Carolina’s economic and environmental future.