Wind Power News: Virginia
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Neighbors say Dominion Energy wind turbine project causing issues in Virginia Beach
Residents in the Croatan neighborhood of Virginia Beach are annoyed. Dominion Energy recently started the on-land portion of their Offshore Wind Turbine Project. The company plans on building 176 turbines about 20 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. When fully constructed in 2026, the “Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project” will provide clean and renewable energy to their grid, cutting down on millions of tons of carbon emissions. “We come ashore at State Military Reservation, it goes underground through . . . Complete story »
Another wind-energy project in jeopardy after Virginia Beach signals they won’t let cables come ashore
Coalition files intent to sue federal agencies to stop whale-killing Virginia wind project
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Marine Fisheries Service have violated federal law by finding that the Virginia Offshore Wind project will not result in the destruction of the North Atlantic right whale as a species. Complete story »
Siemens Gamesa scraps plans to build blades for offshore wind turbines on Virginia’s coast
A European company has canceled plans to build blades for offshore wind turbines in coastal Virginia, the latest sign of struggle within the U.S.’s nascent industry. Siemens Gamesa confirmed the cancellation in a statement Friday. The company’s proposed $200 million factory at the Port of Virginia in Portsmouth would have created more than 300 jobs and aided the state in its aspirations to become a hub for offshore wind projects as part of the nation’s efforts to tackle climate change. . . . Complete story »
Dem senator purchased luxury condo from green energy lawyer pushing wind farm in home state
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia recently purchased a luxury waterfront condominium from a senior lawyer at Dominion Energy, a multibillion-dollar energy company developing a massive offshore wind farm in his home state. According to his 2022 financial disclosures filed this month, Kaine reported purchasing a residential property worth up to $1 million in March 2022. A Fox News Digital review of local real estate filings showed that Kaine and his wife Anne Holton paid $895,000 for a multi-unit condominium . . . Complete story »
Wind energy developer funneled cash to Dem senator pushing offshore wind
A multibillion-dollar energy developer has wired tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine’s campaign in recent years while aggressively pushing a massive offshore wind project. The Richmond, Virginia-based Dominion Energy’s political action committee (PAC) has funneled $23,000 to Kaine for Virginia since 2011, with the latest, a $1,500 contribution, coming in February. In that same time span, Dominion Energy has given another $44,500 to Common Ground PAC, the leadership PAC affiliated with and chaired by Kaine. . . . Complete story »
Pentagon sounds alarm over Biden plan for offshore wind sites
The Pentagon is sounding alarms over Biden administration plans to advance offshore wind projects along the central Atlantic US coast, warning that almost all of the new terrain eyed for development conflicts with military operations. Maps shared with industry stakeholders and seen by Bloomberg News show vast red areas that the Navy and Air Force have deemed “highly problematic,” covering prime real estate the Interior Department last year earmarked for leasing off the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and . . . Complete story »
Endangered right whale washes ashore in Virginia Beach
There’s another beached whale mystery on the bay side of Virginia Beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it’s the third of its kind in a week. We put up Drone 10 to video the animal lying on the beach between the Lesner Bridge and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The North Atlantic right whale that has been identified is a 20-year-old, 43-foot male, and it can weigh up to 70 tons. The beached right whale became a classroom . . . Complete story »
Third dead whale found miles from offshore wind farm in less than a week
The third dead whale was discovered in less than a week off the southeastern coast of Virginia, miles from Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), one of two operational wind farms in federal waters. Over the weekend, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale was discovered washed ashore near Chic’s Beach which is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday. According to local news outlets, there was no immediate . . . Complete story »
Regulators grant critical approval for Dominion wind farm
“The magnitude of this project is so great that it will likely be the costliest project being undertaken by any regulated utility in the United States. And the electricity produced by this Project will be among the most expensive sources of power — on both a per kilowatt of firm capacity and a per megawatt-hour basis — in the entire United States,” the order said. Complete story »