Duke Energy announed its decision to discontinue the small coastal wind energy demo project in North Carolina, USA. The project was to feature three wind turbines, installed at Pamlico Sound. The project has lost its economical viability, so the company has decided to scrap it.

Instead, Duke Energy and the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, will collaborate on offshore wind energy research, with the goal to help the development of large scale offshore wind farms in the water near North Carolina's shores. One of the first things that will be completed in this new endeavor, is UNC's bird study which followed bird migrations in the coastal region of North Carolina.

Had Duke Energy and UNC continued with the demonstration wind energy projecty, the three offshore wind turbines would have been the first such units installed in US coastal waters.

[source: Duke Energy]