A National Parks Service facility at Coquina Beach in South Nags Head, N.C., which is currently being powered by a wind turbine that was installed by the North Carolina Solar Center in 2005, will soon be connected to the state's power supply.
On April 20, the turbine will officially be connected to the state's power supply by NC GreenPower, a Raleigh, N.D.-based nonprofit organization, and Dominion North Carolina Power, an investor-owned electric utility. Rated at 2.5 kW, this will be the first grid-connected wind turbine throughout eastern North Carolina.
Residents of North Carolina can voluntarily contribute to the NC GreenPower program for $4 per month. According to the organization, the $4 contribution will be used as a subsidiary for producers of renewable energy sources in the state and will add a block of 100 kWh of renewable energy to North Carolina's power supply.