Print
Technology

Developer Drops Wind Farm Idea

By Neil Cotiaux, posted Dec 15, 2017
A New Jersey-based energy company has dropped its interest in erecting wind turbines off the coast of Southeastern North Carolina, handing local opponents a major victory.
 
Fishermen’s Energy LLC, an Atlantic City firm that had expressed interest in developing wind farms off the Brunswick County coast, has “formally withdrawn that notice,” said Paul Gallagher Sr., corporate secretary for the firm.
 
The notice of withdrawal came in a letter dated July 8, 2016, to James Bennett, a program manager at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in Washington, a copy of which was obtained by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal.
 
BOEM’s webpage for North Carolina has no entry reflecting Fishermen’s Energy’s withdrawal, and the agency’s last task force posting is of a conference call that occurred several weeks prior to the firm’s pullout.
 
Although Fishermen’s Energy told BOEM of its decision not to proceed off Brunswick County a year and a half ago, some stakeholders were still in the dark as of early December.
 
“I have received no information” concerning relative developer interest or leases, said Robert Forrester, the mayor of Sunset Beach, one of several communities where some residents are concerned about the visual impact of wind turbines.
 
“Not much if anything,” responded Tom Myers, president of the Holden Beach Property Owners Association that opposes offshore wind, when asked what he’s heard about developer interest. “It’s my understanding that it’s not moving fast, but it’s still there.”
 
Representatives of Oak Island, Ocean Isle Beach and Bald Head Island, all of which have gone on record with concerns about offshore wind, did not respond to requests for comment.
 
The company’s letter cites both environmental and economic reasons for its decision.
 
In January 2016, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expanded the “critical habitat” for the North Atlantic right whale to include all of the Wilmington West wind zone, a small portion of Wilmington East and other waters down to Florida to protect whale calving.
 
“In addition to impacting wind farm design and layout, the habitat restrictions will dramatically [affect] operations both during construction and for years of operations,” the letter from Gallagher said.
 
The firm also cited the market cost of development as a reason for not moving ahead.
 
“It does not make economic sense for us to land bank so much acreage for such a long period at the price levels and on the performance schedules that BOEM presently requires,” federal officials were told.
 
Fishermen’s Energy is now at a crossroads, courting potential buyers while it waits to see how fast New Jersey’s new governor, Phil Murphy, resurrects a dead-in-the-water 2010 blueprint for wind power off Atlantic City.
 
“We still have a fully permitted, ready-to-build demonstration project,” Gallagher said in a telephone interview.
 
Fishermen’s Energy’s withdrawal from North Carolina has left the Wilmington East and Wilmington West wind zones up for grabs. But opposition from many coastal residents has already made one alternative developer wary.
 
“We’re not interested in poking sleeping bears,” said Paul Rich, director of project management for US Wind, which is moving ahead with plans for turbines off the coast of Maryland and also continues to express interest in building off South Carolina’s Grand Strand.
 
With the implosion of plans for additional nuclear power in The Palmetto State, “Our interest in South Carolina has never been more enthusiastic,” Rich said.
 
Adam Forrer, manager of the Atlantic Region for the Southeastern Wind Coalition, believes the critical mass of wind power infrastructure emerging from Maryland to Massachusetts will eventually spark greater developer interest in the Southeast.
 
“They will see the economic development benefits of offshore wind,” he said. “They will get the benefit of economies of scale and the familiarity of the process.”
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Headshots march websized 2

Is Your Commercial Roof Ready for April Showers?

David Grandey - Highland Roofing Company
Pfinder john zachary

What You Need to Know About SECURE 2.0 and Its Effect on Individual Retirement Accounts

John B Zachary - Pathfinder Wealth Consulting
Cfss headshots parker robert webversion 21422121214

The Latest Solar Scams and What You Can Do to Help Stop Them

Robert Parker - Cape Fear Solar Systems

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Rezoning Could Bring 123 Townhomes To Growing Leland Corridor

Emma Dill - Mar 25, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

In The Current Issue

Berries, A Battlefield And More In Pender

The N.C. Blueberry Festival, founded in 2003, is one of several events in Pender County that have drawn more attention over the years....


Q&A: Andrews Reflects On Leadership

Pender County Manager David Andrews is slated to retire this summer after 33 years in local government....


Topsail-area Realtors Share Updates

Pender County Realtors recently shared updates about the coastal market at an event hosted by the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Associa...

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments