The U.S. Department of Interior on Tuesday approved the construction and operations plan for the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, located approximately 23.5 nautical miles off Virginia Beach, VA.
This is the fifth approval of a commercial-scale offshore wind energy project in the United States.
Located approximately 23.5 nautical miles offshore Virginia Beach, the CVOW commercial project is the largest yet.
According to the Department of Interior, 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," generating vital economic development for Virginia’s Hampton Roads area and supporting investments in the Virginia coastal region as a hub for offshore wind development and support."
Dominion Energy said Tuesday the project was on-time and on budget with onshore construction starting later this year.
"The 2.6-gigawatt CVOW project will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 660,000 homes once fully constructed in late 2026 and satisfy the mandates the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act. CVOW is expected to generate fuel savings of $3 billion for customers during the project's first 10 years of operation," Dominion Energy said.