Dominion Energy recently announced that the two turbine, 12-megawatt (MW) Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project, located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, successfully completed reliability testing and is ready to enter commercial service to deliver clean, renewable energy to Virginia customers.
The next significant regulatory step for CVOW is to submit the final documentation for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to complete its technical review, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The turbines will remain in operation during this review process. CVOW is the only project currently permitted under the BOEM process and will be the first fully operational wind power generation facility in U.S. federal waters with the capability to generate enough electricity to power up to 3,000 Virginia homes.
Offshore wind generation is a major component of Dominion Energy's comprehensive clean energy strategy to meet standards mandated in the Virginia Clean Economy Act and to achieve the company's net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions commitment by 2050.
During construction, the 2.6-gigawatt (GW) CVOW commercial project is estimated to generate nearly $5 million per year in local and state tax revenue which increases to almost $11 million annually once the project is commissioned and operational.
A variety of Virginia-based companies contributed to the CVOW pilot project and Dominion Energy remains committed to positioning Hampton Roads as a supply chain hub for U.S. offshore wind efforts, which can create thousands of clean energy jobs in the Commonwealth.
Installation of the two pilot turbines was completed in June. Ørsted served as the offshore engineering, procurement and construction lead for the pilot project. The L. E. Myers Company with members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, performed the onshore construction work.
Work continues on Dominion Energy's proposed 2.6-GW commercial wind project and its Construction and Operations Plan is on schedule to be submitted to BOEM later this year.
For more information, read the original release from Dominion Energy.