Posted on November 1, 2023
The $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project crossed another hurdle Tuesday after receiving final federal approval, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
“Today’s approval of the largest offshore wind project in U.S. history builds on the undeniable momentum we are seeing,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in a news release. “Together with the labor community, industry, Tribes and partners from coast to coast, we are aggressively working toward our clean energy goals.”
Last week, local officials celebrated another milestone in the project, the arrival in Portsmouth of the steel structures that serve as foundations for the project’s wind turbines.
The 176-turbine wind farm will be 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and is anticipated to generate enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes, according to Dominion Energy. Construction is slated to start next year with a completion date of the end of 2026, according to Bob Blue, Dominion president, chair and CEO.
The Virginia offshore wind project is the fifth such commercial offshore wind project approved by the Biden administration, which when all are completed, are projected to create enough power for roughly 1.75 million homes, according to BOEM.
Various environmental and green energy organizations are celebrating the move.
The monopiles were delivered in mid-October to Portsmouth for the project. They were built in Germany.
“This project is a milestone, but is hopefully the first of many to come — we must do everything we can to transition to a clean and just energy future and offshore wind will play an outsized role as we commit to 100 percent clean electricity by mid-century,” said Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters in a Tuesday statement.
