Elected officials on the N.C. coast are turning toward the state’s interior and shifting attitudes there as signs of increasing support in the ongoing fight against offshore drilling.
Energy
Drilling Opponents Set to Join Hands
Opponents of offshore drilling and seismic testing plan to participate Saturday in Hands Across the Sand events all along the N.C. coast to spotlight their numbers.
Regan, Mayors Tout Unity Against Drilling
Area mayors and the state’s environmental secretary during a gathering Wednesday in Manteo emphasized the power of united opposition to protect the N.C. coast from offshore drilling’s risks.
Fishing Interests to Get Say On Offshore Wind
A new 10-year memorandum of understanding paves the way for federal agencies and an organization representing fishing interests to collaborate on offshore wind energy development.
Groups Move to Block Start of Seismic Tests
Conservation groups including the North Carolina Coastal Federation have filed in federal court a motion to block seismic surveys from beginning until a separate lawsuit is resolved.
Report Blasts Wood Pellet Industry’s Effects
A new Rachel Carson Council report claims the wood pellet industry is driving clear-cutting of Southeastern forests, harming public health and exacerbating the effects of climate change.
Spate of Fed, State Bills Would Block Drilling
Offshore drilling opponents in the U.S. House and nine state legislatures introduced this week a barrage of bills to stop new drilling and seismic exploration for oil and gas.
Wind Moratorium’s Economic Toll In Focus
As the expiration date for the state’s 18-month moratorium on wind energy development draws near, its economic costs to northeastern N.C. counties are becoming clearer.
NC’s New Stance On Climate Change, Energy
The governor’s remarks last week on climate change and energy policy signaled a stark departure from the state’s past direction, but despite continued challenges in the legislature, attitudes may already be changing.
New Dawn, New Rules for Solar in Currituck
Work is set to begin this winter on Currituck County’s third solar farm, as county officials prepare to consider in the weeks ahead new zoning rules for solar energy projects.
Currituck County OKs Grandy Solar Farm
Currituck County commissioners voted Monday, following court-ordered instructions, to approve a permit for Ecoplexus Inc. to turn the site of the old Goose Creek Golf Course into a solar farm.
DEQ’s Regan Meets With Coastal Officials
Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan met this week with elected officials in the region to discuss risks to the state’s coastal economy and environment from offshore drilling and seismic testing.
‘Don’t Drill!’ Reverberates in Raleigh
Busloads of coastal residents descended on Raleigh Monday to register their opposition to offshore drilling as federal officials hosted a public meeting on the Trump administration’s oil and gas leasing plan.
Cooper Warns Zinke of Lawsuit Over Drilling
After Gov. Roy Cooper’s meeting with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Saturday in Raleigh, he and other opponents of offshore drilling and seismic exploration remained determined to fight the Trump energy plan.
Cooper Promises Lawsuit Over Exemption
Gov. Roy Cooper in Wrightsville Beach Monday reiterated his opposition to the Trump administration’s plan for drilling for oil and gas off the coast and vowed a lawsuit if the state isn’t granted an exemption as Florida recently received.
Coastal Advocates Vow to Fight Drilling Plan
Environmental advocates and elected officials in Dare County are gearing for a fight against the recently released plan by the Trump Administration to open most of the U.S. coast to offshore drilling.
