The US Government said yesterday that it had cleared Shell and Statoil to bid for an offshore wind farm licence off North Carolina later this year.
The 122,405 acre Kitty Hawk licence will be offered in a commercial wind lease sale on March 16, the US Interior Department said yesterday.
Shell and Statoil are among nine companies to have made the shortlist.
Last month, Statoil said it had won an offshore wind lease off New York with a $42million bid.
Outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration has pushed to speed up the development of renewable energy.
The US’s first offshore wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island recently started operating.
Donald Trump is expected to prioritise hydrocarbon production when he takes up office this week.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said: “Today’s announcement demonstrates how our collaborative efforts with Federal, state and local partners over the past eight years have built a foundation to harness the enormous potential of offshore wind energy.
“The lease sale underscores the growing market demand for renewable energy and strong industry interest in meeting that demand.”
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management acting director Walter Cruickshank said: “This is a significant milestone for North Carolina and our country as we continue to make progress on diversifying our nation’s energy portfolio.
“We look forward to overseeing a successful lease sale in March, to contribute to the region’s energy supply and assist local governments in achieving their goals for energy independence and job creation.”
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