Virginia starts construction of first offshore wind farm

Written by Nick Blenkey
Men on beach shoveling sand

(L to R): Kit Chopin, Port of Virginia; Senator Frank Wagner; Bobby Dyer, Mayor of Virginia Beach; Thomas F. Farrell, II, Dominion Energy; Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia; Paul Koonce, Dominion Energy; Senator Bill DeSteph; Hayes Framme, Ørsted

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam picked up a shovel July 1 to take part in a ceremonial ground breaking marking the start of construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) demonstration project, consisting of two six-megawatt wind turbines located approximately 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

This is the first offshore wind project to be installed in federal waters. Dominion Energy is partnering with Ørsted to build the project on 2,135 acres leased by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME).

“The Virginia offshore wind demonstration project is another powerful example of the Commonwealth’s position as a leader in renewable energy,” said Governor Northam. “As the first deployment of commercial-scale offshore wind turbines in federal waters, I am thrilled that Virginia’s project will help determine best practices for future offshore wind construction along the East Coast.”

The ground breaking marked the first onshore construction work on the twelve megawatt project, which will power 3,000 homes. The CVOW project will produce research and development results that will serve as a first step toward development of commercial-scale offshore wind off the coast of Virginia, including the 2,000 to 2,400 megawatts of potential generation in a larger wind energy area that is adjacent to the CVOW project.

(L to R): Kit Chopin, Port of Virginia; Senator Frank Wagner; Bobby Dyer, Mayor of Virginia Beach; Thomas F. Farrell, II, Dominion Energy; Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia; Paul Koonce, Dominion Energy; Senator Bill DeSteph; Hayes Framme, Ørsted

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