Chowan County, North Carolina – July 24, 2024 – Wednesday morning, Apex Clean Energy representatives were joined by Governor Roy Cooper, community leaders, landowners, and supporters to celebrate the construction of the Timbermill Wind project. Over 250 people signed their name on one of Timbermill Wind’s 242-foot-long turbine blades, representing both the scale of the facility and the economic opportunity generated by the project.
“Timbermill Wind’s construction marks a pivotal milestone, representing more than a decade of hard work by the Apex team, our landowner partners, and local project supporters,” said Ken Young, CEO of Apex. “Timbermill demonstrates the power of our collaborative effort, and we are grateful for the steadfast support of Governor Cooper and state officials in realizing the project, which will deliver significant and lasting benefits to both Chowan County and the Tar Heel State.”
Timbermill Wind is a 189-megawatt project developed and being constructed by Apex, which plans to own and operate the facility when completed later this year. Through a power purchase agreement (PPA) announced last year, Timbermill Wind will support Google’s 2030 commitment to powering its operations with carbon-free energy around the clock. The PPA will contribute to the clean energy needs of the company’s data centers on the PJM grid.
North Carolina’s second wind project, and the first built since 2017, Timbermill Wind is already generating statewide economic benefits. The project has created over 200 construction jobs and relies heavily on local contractors, with over $25 million spent with North Carolina businesses to date during construction. This includes local concrete providers, road and civil contractors, and transportation of the wind turbines themselves, which contain multiple U.S.-manufactured components, including steel tower sections and nacelles. Components have been transported by rail or sea through the Port of Morehead City and Chowan County’s Riverbulk Terminal.
“The Timbermill Wind project will bring major economic investment to Chowan County and strengthen our onshore wind operations," said Governor Roy Cooper. "North Carolina is an epicenter of clean energy and we look forward to expanding wind, solar and other energy projects throughout our state along with the good paying jobs they bring."
“Vestas is proud to partner with Apex in supplying our industry-leading V150-4.2 MW wind turbine technology for the Timbermill project, Vestas’ first wind project in the state of North Carolina,” said Rudi Blankestijn, Senior Vice President of Customer Project Execution. “With the nacelles and towers being made in the U.S., we are excited to bring this project to fruition utilizing local workers throughout the installation phase and with our local service team which will ensure optimized operations for years to come.”
The project will also provide a revenue boost to Chowan County schools and the county government. Timbermill Wind is projected to generate up to $33 million in tax revenue over its lifetime and would become the county’s largest taxpayer during its first year of operations.
“Timbermill has already boosted our local economy by spending millions of dollars with local businesses and the project’s impact will only grow as it comes online and becomes one of our largest taxpayers,” said Bob Kirby, Chairman of the Chowan County Board of Commissioners.
“For our school district, Timbermill Wind is a huge opportunity for Chowan County to invest in our students and teachers. We couldn’t be more excited to see the impact of this new revenue moving forward,” added Edenton-Chowan School Chairman Gene Jordan.
The project has also made long term investments in community organizations through Apex’s community grant program, which has awarded more than $100,000 in funding to date for local non-profits and causes. Through Apex’s conservation grant program, Timbermill Wind is partnering with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation to reforest 80 acres of longleaf pine in the Chowan Swamp Gamelands and 100 acres of Atlantic white cedar at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge—two imperiled habitats that support many federally endangered species. Another conservation grant to the Friends of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge will acquire 0.9 acres of land to improve refuge access, upgrade refuge facilities, and engage with nearby underserved communities.
The project is expected to reach commercial operations in Q4 2024.