North Carolina Activities

North Carolina

What's New?

The Department of the Interior and BOEM are implementing President Trump’s memorandum temporarily halting offshore wind leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf. The memorandum also pauses new or renewed approvals, rights-of-way, permits, leases, or loans for offshore wind projects pending a review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices.

Efforts Under Way

There are two ongoing activities offshore North Carolina: 

Public Engagement

BOEM has coordinated Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) renewable energy activities offshore North Carolina through its Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, which is made up of representatives from federal, state, local and tribal governments. BOEM has also coordinated public information meetings to help keep interested stakeholders updated on renewable energy milestones occurring offshore North Carolina. To obtain information discussed during these meetings click on the links below.

Environmental Studies

BOEM has funded or considered numerous studies to collect information about the marine environment to support decisions concerning offshore renewable energy development. For more information, please visit: http://www.boem.gov/North-Carolina-Environmental-Studies/.

Related Press Releases

North Carolina Call for Information and Nominations

Dec. 13, 2012: BOEM published a Call for Information and Nominations (or “Call”) in the Federal Register (under Docket ID: BOEM-2012-0088) for a 45-day public comments period to gauge the offshore wind industry's interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in three areas offshore North Carolina and to request comments regarding site conditions, resources and other uses within the Call areas.

Feb. 5, 2013: BOEM reopened the comment period for the Call to allow for additional public input. The comment period for the North Carolina Call for Information and Nominations (DOCKET ID: BOEM-2012-0088) closed on March 7, 2013. Materials related to the Call are below.

Environmental Review

Dec. 13, 2012: In addition to the Call, BOEM published in the Federal Register a “Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA)” (under Docket ID: BOEM-2012-0090). BOEM extended the public comment period until Mar. 7, 2013. The EA considered potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts associated with issuing commercial wind leases and approving site assessment activities on the lease areas.

Jan 23, 2015: BOEM published the EA for public review and comment. BOEM carefully considered all comments received and, on September 17, 2015, made available a revised EA for the WEAs offshore North Carolina. As a result of the analysis in the revised EA, BOEM issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI), which concluded that reasonably foreseeable environmental effects associated with the commercial wind lease issuance and related activities would not significantly impact the environment. For more information, click on the links below:

Aug. 13, 2021: BOEM announced that it would prepare a supplemental Environmental Assessment to consider additional wind leasing options offshore North Carolina and South Carolina. Specifically, BOEM considered a lease sale for the Wilmington East (now Carolina Long Bay) Wind Energy Area located offshore North and South Carolina. The announcement initiated a 30-day public comment period that ended on September 12, 2021.

Dec. 8, 2021: BOEM announced the availability of a draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) of potential impacts from the issuance of leases within the Wilmington East (now Carolina Long Bay) WEA. More specifically, the draft SEA considered potential environmental consequences of site characterization activities (i.e., biological, archeological, geological, and geophysical surveys and core samples) and site assessment activities (i.e., installation of meteorological buoys). The draft SEA also looked at surveying potential cable corridors, which could include corridors that extend from the WEA to the onshore energy grid. 

Mar. 25, 2022: BOEM completed its final Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) of potential impacts from the issuance of commercial wind energy leasing activities offshore North Carolina. The final SEA assesses potential impacts from the issuance of leases in the Wilmington East (now Carolina Long Bay) WEA. Potential impacts include those that could occur from site characterization activities (i.e., shallow hazards, geological, geotechnical, archeological, and biological surveys of the lease area and potential cable routes) and site assessment activities (i.e., installation and operation of meteorological buoys) associated with issuing wind energy leases in the WEA. Based on the analysis in the final SEA, BOEM has issued a finding of no significant impact.    

Wind Energy Area Identification

Aug. 11, 2014: BOEM announced that it has identified three WEAs offshore North Carolina:

  • The Kitty Hawk WEA begins about 24 nm from shore and extends approximately 25.7 nm in a general southeast direction. Its seaward extent ranges from 13.5 nm in the north to .6 nm in the south. It contains approximately 21.5 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks (122,405 acres).
  • The Wilmington West WEA begins about 10 nm from shore and extends approximately 12.3 nm in an east-west direction at its widest point. It contains just over 9 OCS blocks (approximately 51,595 acres).
  • The Wilmington East WEA (now Carolina Long Bay) WEA begins about 15 nm from Bald Head Island at its closest point and extends approximately 18 nm in the southeast direction at its widest point. It contains approximately 25 OCS blocks (133,590 acres).

For additional information about the WEAs offshore North Carolina, click on the link below.

Kitty Hawk Proposed Sale Notice and Request for Interest

Aug 12, 2016: BOEM announced the release of the Atlantic Wind Lease Sale 7 Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) and Request for Interest (RFI) for 122,405 acres offshore North Carolina. The PSN and RFI published in the Federal Register on August 16, 2016.
The PSN requested that any prospective bidders already qualified for commercial wind energy development offshore North Carolina affirm their continued interest and requested public comments on BOEM’s proposal to auction one lease offshore North Carolina for commercial wind energy development. Information related to the PSN and RFI is located below.

Kitty Hawk Final Sale Notice

Jan. 17, 2017: BOEM announced the publication of the Final Sale Notice (FSN) for a lease sale offshore North Carolina. The lease area is located 24 nautical miles (nm) from shore and extends 25.7 nm in a general southeast direction. Its seaward extent ranges from 13.5 nm in the north to 0.6 nm in the south. It contains approximately 21.5 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) blocks (122,405 acres).

Commercial Leases

Mar. 16, 2017: BOEM held a competitive lease sale (i.e., auction) for the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area offshore North Carolina. The auction lasted 17 rounds. Avangrid Renewables, LLC which bid $9,066,650 was the winner of lease OCS-A 0508 (122,405 acres). The lease was signed by BOEM on October 10, 2017, and went into effect on November 1, 2017. The executed lease is available below

A summary of the bidding results can be found through this link: https://www.boem.gov/ATLW-7-NC/.

May 11, 2022: BOEM held an offshore wind auction for two lease areas (part of the previously identified Wilmington East [now Carolina Long Bay] Wind Energy Area identified in April 2014). The lease sale drew competitive winning bids from two companies totaling approximately $315 million. TotalEnergies Renewable USA, LLC which bid $160 million was the winner of lease OCS-A 0545 and Duke Energy Renewables Wind, LLC which bid $155 million was the winner of lease OCS-A 0546.Additional information about the Carolina Long Bay lease areas can be found through this link: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/carolina-long-bay

A summary of the bidding results can be found through this link: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/round-round-atlw-9-carolina-long-bay