Executive Watch: Cooper Proposes Wind Study

In contrast to President Trump’s push to ruin our economy with offshore drilling, Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget seeks to boost our economy by tapping into the wind which will always blow across our coast. Wind energy groups say that a small appropriation in the governor’s state budget proposal could have a big positive impact for the development of wind energy in North Carolina.

Cooper’s budget includes a modest $300,000 request for a one-year study to analyze the state’s potential to manufacture and service commercial wind turbine components. Most of those are now built and imported from Europe. States which get the jump on creating a domestic wind industry could find themselves with a major market advantage, both for their own projects and those in other states.

Katherine Hollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, said that implementing this proposal would give North Carolina the opportunity to keep up with other states that are looking into the same question.

North Carolina already has 27 wind-related manufacturing facilities that employ over 1,000 people. In a prepared statement on the proposed study, the state Department of Commerce said, “North Carolina has long been a leader in developing and supporting new industries like clean energy, and we’re a leading state for manufacturing. The supply chain study will shed light on the best approaches for our state’s existing network of suppliers and for our skilled manufacturing workforce.”

Up next, Big Hog Beaten Again >>

To get news like this in your inbox every Monday, please sign up for our Conservation Insider Bulletin newsletter!