Dive Brief:
- Dominion Energy has filed the construction and operations plan for its 2.64 GW offshore wind project, with construction expected to start off the coast of Virginia in 2024.
- The anticipated filing with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) was made after Dominion completed construction of a 12 MW pilot offshore wind project in Virginia — the first offshore wind turbines approved by regulators in federal waters. The company expects the BOEM review process for the largest offshore wind farm in the country announced to date to take about two years.
- The offshore wind generation capacity is a large component of the utility's clean energy plan, to meet the state's rigid decarbonization standards in the Clean Economy Act passed earlier in 2020. Pending approval of the project by the State Corporation Commission and federal regulators, the project would provide renewable electricity to power up to 660,000 homes upon completion in 2026.
Dive Insight:
BOEM has a queue of construction and operations plans to review for offshore wind projects along the East Coast — the regulator extended its timeline for considering Vineyard Wind's Massachusetts project, to better consider the projected growth of the wind resource in its leasing areas.
Dominion's filing includes construction, operations and conceptual decommissioning plans for activity 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, as well as information about the onshore and support facilities that will be involved in the project.
The utility announced the filing on Friday, two days following an announcement with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, D, concerning progress on the construction of offshore wind turbine installation vessels being made in the United States, in compliance with the Jones Act. The maritime commerce law requires vessels carrying goods between different points in the U.S. to be built, owned and operated by American citizens.
"Dominion Energy is proud to be leading a consortium of respected industry participants in the construction of the first Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, which will provide significant American jobs, and provide a reliable, home-grown installation solution with the capacity to handle the next generation of large-scale, highly-efficient turbine technologies," Dominion President and CEO Robert Blue said during a press event.
The 2.6 GW offshore wind project is estimated to generate approximately $5 million per year in local and state tax revenue during construction, and almost $11 million annually once the project is complete, according to an analysis released by Dominion. An environmental impact study from Mangum Economics says the project would generate $143 million in economic impact per year during construction and $210 million annually during turbine operation.
