Two Carteret County towns this week joined the growing list of N.C. communities taking official positions opposed to offshore drilling and seismic blasting.
Energy
Economic Promises and the Push to Drill
Energy independence, lower fuel prices and jobs are the big three reasons cited for Atlantic offshore drilling but do the promises match the market reality?
Panel: Seismic Effects Still Unclear
Scientists who spoke at the recent N.C. Coastal Federation forum on offshore oil say more research is needed on seismic surveying’s effects on marine mammals.
Officials Tout Amazon Wind Farm Deal
The recent groundbreaking near Elizabeth City for Amazon’s wind farm, the first of its kind in the state, is being hailed as a win for clean-energy policy.
Agency Seeks Comments on Seismic Permits
The National Marine Fisheries Service is taking the unusual step of allowing public review and comment on permits to harass marine mammals with seismic tests.
Forum: Offshore Oil and the N.C. Coast
The N.C. Coastal Federation will host experts and area residents for a forum, Shaping our Economic Future: Offshore Drilling in N.C., July 31 in New Bern.
What’s This Seismic Survey Stuff?
A crowd of eager and curious people turned out in Wilmington this week to learn about what offshore seismic testing is about and what its effects on the environment could be.
Q&A: The Skinny on Seismic Surveys
We offer a primer on what will take center stage this month in the debate over offshore drilling. Public meetings are planned in April along the N.C. coast about using sound waves to determine if oil or natural exists below the sear.
Outer Banks Residents Say ‘No’ to Drilling
About 670 people showed up in Kill Devil Hills Monday for a federal public meeting on offshore oil and gas drilling. That’s more people than have ever attended one of these meetings. Their message was loud and clear.
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly of Drilling
The first N.C. skirmish in what will certainly be a prolonged battle over offshore drilling played out in Wilmington Tuesday. CRO editor Frank Tursi takes you into the heart of both camps.
No Huffing and Puffing Over Wind
The feds had a meeting in Kitty Hawk about offshore wind energy. There were no protests or demonstrations, no talk of spills and sullied beaches.
Federal Study Gives Offshore Wind the Green Light
Commercial wind farms off the N.C. coast will likely have minimal adverse environmental effects, notes a federal study. People will have a chance to comment on the study at three meetings this week.
State Studies LNG Plant at Ports
A plant to export liquid natural gas could be built at the state ports in Morehead City or Wilmington, according to a report presented recently to the N.C. General Assembly.
Feds Announce Atlantic Drilling Plan
The Obama Administration announced plans to potentially open portions of the Atlantic coast, including offshore North Carolina, to oil and natural gas drilling for the first time in 30 years.
Feds Move Closer to Offshore Wind in N.C.
The federal government yesterday took the next significant step toward developing commercial wind energy off the N.C. coast by releasing an environmental assessment that supports the potential lease sale for more than 300,000 acres.
Study: N.C. Could Reap the Wind
North Carolina and other Atlantic Coast states could see far more jobs and benefits from developing offshore wind energy than drilling for oil and natural gas, according to a new study.