Duke Energy Shelves Offshore Wind – Take Action!
Now released from its obligation to meet a 2030 clean energy action goal, Duke Energy has decided to stick its offshore wind development plans on the shelf.
In a statement, Duke Energy said that its Acquisition Request for Information (ARFI) – a process ordered by regulators to gather confidential pricing and project details from leaseholders off North Carolina’s coast – showed “offshore wind is not cost-competitive at this time, so no RFP will be issued.” Ironically, the benchmark Duke used for comparison was the cost of solar energy plus battery storage.
An Apples-to-Oranges Comparison
Karly Brownfield, the Southeast Wind Coalition’s Senior Programs Manager (Carolinas and Virginia), said the comparison with solar plus batteries is misleading. “It’s more of an apples-to-oranges comparison, because offshore wind has the potential to provide so much value to the grid during times of extreme weather or high load demand, when solar isn’t necessarily performing at its maximum.”
“We’re disappointed to not see Duke Energy move forward with an RFP for offshore wind at this time,” Brownfield said. “This decision, coupled with recent changes to the state’s carbon reduction mandate and uncertainty at the federal level, unnecessarily delays wind and compounds investment uncertainty across the clean energy industry as a whole.”
Want to Take Action?
Utilities like Duke Energy aren’t just nixing clean energy. They are also doubling down on dirty energy.
Duke Energy, Enbridge, Williams Transco, and Mountain Valley Pipeline developers are pushing to build an extensive web of methane gas infrastructure across the state. Methane is a super pollutant: over 20 years, it’s more than 80 times as potent at trapping heat than CO₂.
Join NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) and coalition partners as we fight against the proposed methane gas infrastructure expansion. “We Pay, They Profit: Fighting North Carolina’s Methane Gas Plan” will take place on Tuesday, August 26, 6:30 – 8 p. m. Register to participate in the Zoom call.
