The Biden-Harris administration today announced its approval of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project located approximately 23.5 nautical miles offshore of Virginia Beach.
This is the fifth approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project under President Biden’s leadership.
The CVOW commercial project would provide about 2,600 megawatts of clean, reliable offshore wind energy, capable of powering over 900,000 homes. The project is expected to provide about 900 jobs each year during the construction phase and support an estimated 1,100 annual jobs during the operations phase.
It is expected to generate vital economic development for Virginia’s Hampton Roads area and support investments in the Virginia coastal region as a hub for offshore wind development and support.
“The Interior Department is committed to the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach to the clean energy future, which helps respond to the climate crisis, lower energy costs, and create good-paying union jobs across the manufacturing, shipbuilding and construction sectors,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Today’s approval of the largest offshore wind project in U.S. history builds on the undeniable momentum we are seeing. Together with the labor community, industry, Tribes and partners from coast to coast, we are aggressively working toward our clean energy goals.”
The announcement comes on the heels of an Oct. 27 event in Portsmouth to celebrate the arrival of the first eight monopile foundations for the CVOW project. The foundations will be staged at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal until construction begins next spring.
After carefully considering the analysis and alternatives in the final environmental impact statement, including public comments on the Draft EIS, the department approved a combination of Alternative B and Alternative D-1, which includes up to 176 wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 14.7 megawatts.
This combination should reduce impacts to navigation and a known fish haven, allow for ocean co-use and meet the energy needs of Virginia, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The record of decision includes measures aimed at avoiding, minimizing and mitigating the potential impacts that may result from the construction and operation of the project.
Among those measures, Dominion Energy has committed to establishing fishery mitigation funds to compensate recreational and commercial fisheries for any losses directly arising from the project.
Dominion Energy has also committed to measures, including vessel speed restrictions and construction clearance zones, to reduce the potential for impacts to protected species, such as marine mammals, sea turtles and Atlantic sturgeon.
Representatives of two Virginia-based climate-action groups welcomed the news in statements on Tuesday.
“Virginia’s truly reached a clean energy milestone and we wouldn’t be here without the Biden Administration’s leadership on renewable energy and the visionary policies enacted by the General Assembly in 2020 and 2021 – policies that Gov. Youngkin and his allies have repeatedly tried to weaken or repeal, despite the clear economic and environment benefits of advancing a clean energy future,” said Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “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.”
“The CVOW project will significantly reduce Dominion’s reliance on coal and methane gas and also means cost savings for customers,” said Will Cleveland, a senior attorney in the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Virginia office. “We are glad the project continues to move forward in a way that is going to bring Virginians more wind power, while balancing the need to protect the state’s natural resources as the project takes shape.”
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Crystal Graham
