N.C. launches big push into coastal wind energy
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N&O Innovation and Technology Newsletter: June 11, 2021
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North Carolina’s fledgling wind-energy industry could get a kickstart from a new executive order by Gov. Roy Cooper.
On Thursday, Cooper announced a target of creating 2.8 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040 -- an amount that could power about 2.3 million homes.
North Carolina is now the 8th state that has set offshore wind energy targets, and its goals are more ambitious than Virginia, New Jersey or Maryland’s.
Much of the 2030 goal could be attained by the construction of a project that has already been leased off of the Outer Banks with a capacity of about 2.5 megawatts, with the rest coming from the beginning stages of construction of a wind farm off the state’s southeastern coast.
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(A group of N.C. scientists will send their lab-grown human tissue to the International Space Station for experiments.)
Tech news from the Triangle
FDA approves contentious Alzheimer’s drug from Biogen. [N&O]
N.C. researchers who 3-D printed human liver cells will send their research into space. [N&O]
Merck investigating after noose found at Durham vaccine plant. [N&O]
Kids outgrow toys fast. This NC startup, born in the pandemic, has a solution. [N&O]
Logistics consultant Tryon Solution spins out its software team into startup called Cycle Labs. [GrepBeat]
RTP firm SmartSky launches first corridor for its in-flight internet network. [WRAL]
Red Hat nearing $5B in revenue, IBM CEO says. [TBJ]
What I’m reading
North Carolina creates $1M lottery for people who have been vaccinated. [N&O]
Black people make up 22% of North Carolina’s working-age population yet accounted for 36% of COVID-19 deaths in that age group last year, data show. Hispanic people comprise 9.5% of that group, yet accounted for 17% of these deaths. [N&O]
U.S. chief of Brazilian meat supplier JBS says the company paid cyberattackers $11 million in bitcoin to avoid more disruptions. [WSJ]
More than 11,000 homes in Mecklenburg County are owned by Wall Street-backed rental companies. [UNCC]
Ford’s new hybrid truck brings back the near-extinct small truck. [Jalopnik]
Farewell to the Millennial lifestyle subsidy. [NYT]
Gap unveils the first clothing item from its Kanye West line: a $200 puffer jacket. [CNBC]
Other Triangle business
Legendary Southern restaurant Crook’s Corner closes. [N&O]
City of Durham gets affordable housing concession from downtown condo developer. [N&O]
The remaking of downtown Chapel Hill continues. [N&O]
Let me know what you’re seeing. Email me at zeanes@newsobserver.com. Tweet me @zeanes. Call me at 919-829-4516.
Zachery Eanes is the Innovate Raleigh reporter for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun. He covers technology, startups and main street businesses, biotechnology, and education issues related to those areas.
This newsletter was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate
