Duke Energy Relinquishes Offshore Wind Projects NC
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2026
Media Contact: Karly Brownfield, karlyb@sewind.org
Raleigh, N.C. - Today, Duke Energy signed a settlement agreement with the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) to abandon its offshore wind lease in North Carolina. This settlement agreement is a major blow to the U.S clean energy economy and future grid reliability. The agreement will reimburse Duke Energy nearly $129 million in taxpayer dollars for its offshore wind lease in North Carolina.
Duke Energy’s Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease was acquired in 2022 for $155 million and was in early stages of development. The lease had the potential to generate about 1.3 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power roughly 300,000 homes.
TotalEnergies relinquished its neighboring Carolina Long Bay lease in March of this year. Together, the Carolina Long Bay projects were estimated to support approximately 37,000 jobs, $3 billion in annual wages, $233 million in state tax revenue, and $44 billion in capital investment during the development and construction phases of the projects.*
SEWC’s President, Katharine Kollins, released the following statement:
"We are disappointed to see another offshore wind farm opportunity taken off the table for North Carolina. At a time when electricity demand is surging and grid reliability is under increasing strain, we need to add energy options, not remove them. It is unfortunate that the federal government continues to pick winners and losers in the energy space, especially when we’ve seen strong performance from the four existing offshore wind farms currently operating in U.S. waters.”
Offshore wind offers North Carolina stable, predictable energy for decades to come by bolstering energy independence and providing a hedge against more volatile fuels during extreme weather.
*These economic impact numbers are inclusive of both leases that make up Carolina Long Bay (TotalEnergies [OCS-A 0545] and Duke Energy Renewable [OCS-A 0546]).
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)(3), nonpartisan organization that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on providing fact-based information on the economic and environmental opportunities of wind energy, and encourage solutions that result in net economic benefits to residents and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition, visitwww.sewind.org
