Wind power is coming to North Carolina.

WASHINGTON -- The federal government has cleared the way for developers to plant wind farms in offshore waters on the Outer Continental Shelf, a move that could have a significant impact for North Carolina.

The regulations were published Wednesday afternoon in the Federal Register and touted by President Barack Obama at an Earth Day speech on an Iowa wind farm. They lay out the rules for leasing, siting, permitting and building wind turbines and other types of renewable energy.

Dozens of applications for proposed offshore wind projects are expected in the north and central Atlantic in the coming months, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the Associated Press. He said the first electricity production could come in two or three years.

Eventually, the regulations could help shape energy production in North Carolina, where the Outer Banks jut sharply into the Atlantic. The area has some of the strongest and steadiest winds on the East Coast, according to a report from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1497159.html

I wouldn't mind seeing turbines out in the distance while I'm on the beach.

edit: it would be a far sight prettier and more environment friendly than seeing oil platforms. :P