SCC seeks public comments on Dominion Energy Virginia offshore wind project

The State Corporation Commission is offering time the public to give oral comments by telephone on an application by Dominion Energy Virginia to construct an offshore wind generation facility off the coast of Virginia Beach and interconnected by transmission lines to the Commonwealth.

The project is called the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project.

The offshore wind generation facilities would consist of 176 14.7-megawatt wind turbine generators located in a federal lease area beginning approximately 27 statute miles (approximately 24 nautical miles) off the coast. Generated electricity would be transported onshore to a cable landing location at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, then by transmission lines to the Harpers Switching Station at the Naval Air Station Oceana. The estimated cost of the project is approximately $9.8 billion.

The SCC has scheduled a public witness session to begin at 10 a.m. on May 16, 2022, to consider the offshore wind project application. Public witnesses intending to provide oral testimony must pre-register with the SCC by 5 p.m. on May 12, 2022.

Witnesses will be called by SCC staff on May 16 in the order in which they registered. Testimony will be limited to five minutes per caller. The hearing will be webcast at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting.

Public witnesses wishing to provide oral testimony may pre-register in one of three ways:

• Completing a public witness form for case number PUR-2021-00142 on the SCC’s website at: virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting
• E-mailing the same form (PDF version on the same website as above) to [email protected]
• Calling the SCC at 804-371-9141 during normal business hours (8:15 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and providing their name and the phone number you wish the Commission to call to reach you during the hearing.

A public evidentiary hearing will follow the public witness hearing at 9 a.m. on May 17, 2022 either in the SCC’s second floor courtroom at 1300 East Main Street in Richmond or by electronic means to receive testimony and evidence from the company, any respondents, and the SCC staff.

For those who prefer, there is also an opportunity to provide comments in writing on the offshore wind project application. Written comments may be submitted through the SCC’s website by May 16, 2022, at scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments.

Simply go to the SCC website, select “Cases” and then “Submit Public Comments,” and scroll down to case number PUR-2021-00142. Then click SUBMIT COMMENTS.