Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today announced the Commonwealth’s intentions to develop offshore wind resources. Following a multi-year study by the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, a number of offshore wind developers have contacted the Commonwealth to share their plans to lease federal waters off Virginia to develop wind power.
“Wind power holds the potential to create new jobs and provide cheaper and cleaner energy to our citizens without having an adverse effect on the environment,” Kaine said. “I am looking forward to working with federal, state and local officials to begin the process of making Virginia a regional leader in clean energy.”
On Sept. 15, Kaine submitted a letter to Elizabeth Birnbaum, director of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service, formally requesting the formation of a federal-state-local task force to guide and facilitate the leasing process. The formation of the task force will be the first step in what will ultimately be the development of a clean, renewable energy source for Virginians and the introduction of a new sector to the Hampton Roads and Virginia economy.
In December 2008, Kaine launched Renew Virginia, a year-long series of legislative and administrative actions promoting renewable energy, creating green jobs, and encouraging preservation of the environment. The development of offshore wind power is an important component of this effort to promote clean energy and provide career-length green jobs in the wind energy and associated sectors. Developing the Commonwealth’s offshore wind resources is included in the Virginia Energy Plan and the recommendations of the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change.
“There is great potential for offshore wind development not just off the coast of Virginia but all along the Eastern Seaboard,” Governor Kaine said. “With the great resources in the Hampton Roads region, Virginia has the added potential to be the manufacturing and economic center for this burgeoning green industry.”
During his administration, Kaine has incentivized the production of cleaner energy, surveyed the emissions of facilities previously grandfathered out of the Clean Air act, dedicated over a billion dollars to Chesapeake Bay cleanup, protected nearly 350,000 acres of open space, and led the effort to promote regional cooperation to combat climate change.
For more information on Renew Virginia, visit www.governor.virginia.gov.
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