Loud noises from wind turbine project have stopped for now but will continue in the new year
Credit: By: Danielle Saitta · Posted Dec 23, 2024 · wtkr.com ~~
In Virginia Beach, some residents are concerned about a wind turbine project and the impact it is having on their neighborhood.
One of those residents is Chase Rudolf, who lives in the Croatan neighborhood.
“In my kitchen, you can hear it shaking, and you can feel it on the beach sometimes,” Rudolf said.
Dominion Energy says the completed project, known as Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, includes 176 offshore wind turbines about 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Currently, about 78 monopile foundations for the turbines are in the ocean, but Dominion Energy spokesperson Jeremey Slayton said more will follow.
“We were only able to install that number of turbines between May and October because we had to stop those activities at the end of October due to the North Atlantic right whale migration period,” Slayton explained.
Here’s how it works: The wind blows, the blades spin, and [with ideal conditions] energy is created [equal to the power used by 660,000 homes.
However, two things are needed for this to happen: onshore construction equipment and offshore cables that provide energy.
The process, however, comes with noise known as sheet piling, which has caused residents to complain.
“We are placing 40-foot sheets of metal into the ground to shore up the area where the cables come ashore so we can install the conduit to connect the cables,” Slayton explained.
Rudolf told News 3 that he is not the only one who notices the noise in his home.
“My dogs get scared all the time, and it’s not good for them,” Rudolf said.
Slayton said Dominion Energy has tried to address concerns through meetings and by providing travel vouchers to residents living nearby while work is ongoing.
He added that the company is also trying to mitigate the noise by erecting a sound wall in the Croatan Beach parking lot.
The noise has stopped for now; however, Slayton said it will pick up again in late winter or early spring and will stop by summer.
The entire project is expected to be completed by 2026.
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