Settlement reroutes energy millions to Texas gas; local beach towns claim victory for coastal character
By BC News Staff Writer
BOLIVIA, NC — The horizon off the Brunswick County coast will remain unobstructed following a federal settlement reached this week. TotalEnergies has officially vacated its leases for the Carolina Long Bay project, an 86,000-acre area located roughly 20 miles south of Bald Head Island.
The agreement, finalized on March 23, 2026, provides a dollar-for-dollar reimbursement of the $133 million the company paid for the lease in 2022. Under the deal, the capital will be diverted from offshore wind into natural gas and shale production in Texas. While the administration cited concerns over high costs and grid reliability, local leaders in Brunswick County view the cancellation as a win for the region’s tourism-driven economy.
Local Impact and Reactions
For years, the towns of Bald Head Island, Ocean Isle Beach, and Sunset Beach led the opposition, arguing that 800-foot-tall turbines would cause visual pollution and threaten high-end property values. Brunswick County Commissioner Marty Cook has been a vocal supporter of the cancellation, previously stating that the project would have created “more harm than good” by impacting the aesthetic appeal that fuels the county’s record-breaking real estate market.
Beyond the viewshed, the maritime community expressed relief. Local commercial and recreational fishermen had voiced concerns that turbine foundations and underwater cabling would interfere with traditional shrimp trawling grounds and bottom-fishing spots in the Coastal Plain region.
Economic Trade-Offs
While the visual eyesore is gone, regional economic groups note a lost opportunity for infrastructure. The Southeastern Wind Coalition estimates the cancellation removes a portion of $44 billion in projected capital investment and hundreds of maintenance jobs that would have supported the Southport and regional maritime corridors. For now, however, the Brunswick County shoreline remains dedicated to the unobstructed views that have defined its coastal identity for generations.
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