Dominion Energy on Thursday announced plans to build the nation’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Virginia — a 220-turbine installation that would power 650,000 homes at peak wind.
If it gains state and federal approvals, the $7.8 billion project would deliver 880 megawatts of energy by 2024 and a total of 2,600 megawatts by 2026. The turbines would be anchored on 112,800 acres Dominion is leasing from the federal government 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Dominion’s announcement comes two days after Gov. Ralph Northam signed an executive order calling for a plan to make Virginia’s electric grid solely dependent on carbon-free energy sources by 2050. That plan called for 2,500 megawatts of offshore wind by 2026.
“That executive order was a validation of what we thought was an important project for our customers,” said Mark Mitchell, vice president of generation construction with Dominion, adding that planning for the expansive project had been ongoing for years. “He definitely stepped up the challenge, and we’re rising to it.”
As pitched, Dominion’s would be the largest offshore wind farm in the country. The nation’s first commercial offshore wind farm began operation off the coast of Rhode Island in 2016. Others are in development.
“If approved and generating power as projected in 2026, Dominion’s 2,500 megawatts project will be the single largest project in U.S. waters,” said Laura Morton, a policy analyst with the American Wind Energy Association, an industry group. The next largest project, Ocean Wind, would generate 1,100 megawatts off the New Jersey coast.
New Jersey has a procurement goal of 3,500 megawatts by 2030. New York recently announced a 9,000 megawatt goal by 2030.
Making Virginia a leader in offshore wind has become a goal for Northam, who vowed policy support for the industry during a speech in Norfolk on Thursday. Northam is calling for construction permits related to Dominion’s project to be filed by 2021 — the last full year of his administration.
“To my friends in the supply chain for offshore wind, let me add this: We are going to remain the nation’s leader in offshore wind,” Northam said.
“I’ve heard concerns about regulatory resistance. I commit that the commonwealth will have the necessary legislative and public policy support for realizing our full potential in offshore wind.”
The cost of Dominion’s offshore project, like its others, would be borne by Virginia ratepayers through their utility bills — an increase that would require the approval of the State Corporation Commission.
The commission weighed in on Dominion’s offshore wind plans in November of last year — when Dominion sought approval for a $300 million two-turbine pilot — lambasting the project but acknowledging its hands were tied by General Assembly directives supporting Dominion’s clean energy projects.
On the large-scale wind project, the commission said at the time that Dominion’s own analysis had found that “a larger full-scale offshore wind generation facility, which the [pilot] project is intended to demonstrate, is not expected to be economically competitive with other options for the next 25 years under any scenario studied.”
Dominion would need approval from the SCC by 2023 to meet its current goals.
Dominion is moving ahead with its large-scale project just months after it broke ground on its pilot in July. That project won’t be completed until December 2020.
Mitchell said that despite not having the results of the pilot, Dominion learned a lot about the regulatory and permitting process it will need to follow as it moves ahead with its larger project. The pilot remains the only permitted offshore wind project in federal waters, which Mitchell called “a feat.”
Dominion estimates the large-scale project will cost $2.6 billion per phase, though Mitchell said the company anticipates costs will go down as offshore wind technology becomes more widely used.
“We think our customers will embrace it,” Mitchell said.
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If Ted Kennedy were alive he would applaud this action … Anywhere but off his beloved Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Nothing pleases Americans more than politicians, who are principled, and honest at the same time. Not in my back yard buddy. Hallelujah. and period.
With very little added cost, every new building should have sun facing solar roofs and one or two leaning solar walls. OMG, no colonial faced.
Hurricane proof? 650,000 homes @peak wind, zero at dead calm.
Land based wind farms would certainly be cheaper to build and maintain. Why is there so much opposition to land based wind farms in Virginia? In West Virginia there were 376 wind turbines in operation with a generating capacity of 686 megawatts (MW) since 2016 which is comparable to this proposed wind farm near Virginia Beach.
Sure beats the offshore oil wells regressive republicans were pushing.
"The cost of Dominion’s offshore project, like its others, would be borne by Virginia ratepayers through their utility bills".....YES, and with the fact that this project won't be cost competitive for 25 years, and actually it NEVER will be when all the costs and maintenance are factored in, Virginia taxpayers are in for much higher electricity bills. What will happen when this project fails to meet even the minimum goals of electricity generation, and costs to consumers soar, the government will allow large rate increases at taxpayer expense, provide subsidies to low income users at taxpayer expense and not meet revenue projections, which will hurt investors in Dominion Power..........This is just another example of Democrats, Our Governor Ralph Blackface and others mismanaging the affairs of all Virginians, and failing to spend the people's tax dollars appropriately.....All the MORE reason to vote Republican in November to stop the looting of Virginia Taxpayers for an unnecessary nonsense like this boondoggle.
Big news flash from Fake News Fred. Rate payers will pay for their electricity.... move along... nothing to see here.
Drake again, not only doesn't understand the problem, but he lies to cover the Left. Drake, what is proposed here is a 300% to 400% increase in electricity costs for Virginia households. A family currently paying $150 a month for electricity would be paying up to $600 per month for electricity, that is just usurious, and it IS what will happen if wind power and solar are rapidly and inefficiently implemented. Now Drake, you and the Left and Governor Ralph Blackface, the racist and bigoted Governor that YOU support, doesn't care about hurting Virginians with massive increase in their electric bills, but Republicans DO CARE, and won't let it happen.......Vote Republican in November, it is the ONLY way to stop this looting of the people by the Left.
If it's correct, as the energy commission claims, that no scenario shows off-shore wind projects being competitive with other energy sources for another quarter of a century -- why is this being built now? Will it 25 years to build this project? Why wasn't this explained by the reporter? Why didn't his editor ask for a further explanation on this point?
Why double down on fossil fuels when they are becoming a diminishing percentage of the energy base?
FANTASTIC to read that Virginia isn't going to continue to be in the Dark Ages of energy! And to think that we're going to be the leader in offshore energy (at least for the moment), adds pride that being a Virginian means we're taking a leadership role. We need more Forward thinking like that!
European experience demonstrates that maintenance costs for off-shore wind are higher than the total costs for nuclear, coal or natural gas combined cycle. Windmills are the past, not the future. Prepare for higher electric prices in the name of the green religion.
That’s the price we are paying now for conservative disregard of climate change over the last 50 years. Power companies are for-profit. They aren’t implementing solutions that will not pay off.
Oh... and these windmills have no more in common with your grandaddy’s Barn windmill than a Stanley Steamer has in common with a Tesla.
Drake says: "conservative disregard of climate change over the last 50 years"....100% garbage, there has been no disregard for climate change, because there is nothing to do about climate change, it is naturally occurring and always changing and man has no influence over it.......Man made climate change is a Leftist lie, to punish humanity.
Yep, thanks for making that point Terri, reality has to come from the level headed, because it won't come from the Green Nuts, because they just aren't informed enough to know or care about "nuts and bolts" of the issue......."Windmills are the past, not the future."......A GREAT point Terri
Fake News Fred’s nuts will turn green when all those windmills start generating clean power for VA.
Sure beats the offshore oil wells regressive republicans were pushing.
Anyone who was paying attention to the extra profits they made during the last fiscal year and the programs they are currently running around Richmond would know that they are being very calculated in how they protect their monopoly. I have received dozens of emails from them about the opportunity to test drive an electric car at an event they are sponsoring. They also just gave a bunch of electric school buses to a county school system. What better way to protect their needs than shifting existing expenditures to electricity in the name of the environment.
Oh, my! An industry promoting it’s product and pointing out the green features that consumers want. How positively capitalist of them!
Drake, it all sounds great until the electricity bills increase 3 to 4 times what they are now, then let's see what consumers say, because I will be telling them, "the Democrats ripped you off AGAIN!"
Yeah... don’t hold your breath waiting for that energy bill to go up for clean renewable energy that does not cost the power companies millions of $’s for natural gas or coal. Republicans just want to keep us down in that dirty tarry fossil mud.
Dominion's going to do everything it can to develop renewable energy -- as long as that renewable energy is in the form of giant projects they control and customers will pay for. What scares them is the idea of solar panels on every rooftop, and a whole bunch of folks who don't need them.
I've done my part then. Had my panles installed in 2015 (when the Obama administration had incentives for installation). Since then I haven't had a power bill over $50 and that was in the middle of the winter and middle of the summer when the HVAC is running constantly. During Fall and Spring when our A/C is off, I end up getting checks from Dominion for my unused energy that goes back onto the grid. Added bonus is that I haven't lost power once since then, even when the rest of the neighborhood does.
JW - Good for you. You got in on the early installer subsidized gravy train. This program is not sustainable. All other customers are paying you. Soon you and others will be paid at wholesale rates and you will pay Dominion at retail when need power from them.
What scares them (not really) is the prospect that VepCon will be obliged to buy back excess power capacity from thousands of homes and businesses with solar panels.
Not just buy power... buy it at retail rates, (11 cents) not the much lower (3.5 cent) wholesale rates that nuclear, coal, and natural gas plants sell their output.
How much has VA green energy caused your electric bill to go up so far? 6% (and growing) of VA’s energy comes from biomass and hydropower now.
Garbage Adrian, the taxpayers will be paying twice, the costs for this program will find the government subsidizing Dominion for the windmills when the thing gets out of control with taxpayer funds, then Dominion will want rate increases to help make up the excessive price differentials between wind power and natural gas or coal, resulting in a double hit customers. Oh, and about the solar panels, yea, Adrian when I need my lights at night, there won't be any with just solar, because the sun won't be out to generate the electricity to run them.
I haven’t seen any personal income taxes go up for renewable energy.
Probably because you don't pay income taxes Drake, but if you did, you would have seen higher taxes and higher electricity bills.
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