Duke Energy and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have teamed up on a project to place up to three wind turbines in the Pamlico Sound on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, following a nine-month study conducted by UNC and completed in June 2009.

The turbines may be the first placed in water in the United States. Duke Energy will pay for the turbines and their installation, and UNC will continue its research throughout demonstration project. The coastal wind project will:

• Help determine how coastal and offshore wind power can be used as an energy source in North Carolina.
• Assist researchers to better measure and predict wind resources.
• Quantify environmental impacts.
• Demonstrate turbine performance in tropical storm conditions.

Additional information:

• UNC Coastal Wind project home page

Industry Resources:

• Wind Powering America
• American Wind Energy Association
• U.S. Offshore Wind Collaborative
• European Wind Energy Association

For additional information or to share your comments, email: coastalwind@duke-energy.com