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.
State regulators approve Dominion’s nearly $10 billion wind farm off Virginia Beach coast
RICHMOND – State regulators on Friday approved an application from Dominion Energy Virginia to build an enormous offshore wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach and recover the cost from ratepayers. No parties to the monthslong proceeding had opposed the approval of the project, which will help the utility boost the proportion of its generation that comes from renewable resources. But many had raised concerns about affordability and possible risks to the utility’s captive ratepayers. In its Friday order, the . . . Complete story »
Wind and solar fail to reduce PJM’s CO₂ emissions
As the imposition of a tax on the use of fossil fuels is debated in Pennsylvania and Virginia, along comes an analysis showing the failure of such efforts to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide in the name of saving the planet. Under a multi-state compact known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), Virginia already taxes producers of electricity on the basis of how much carbon dioxide they emit in burning fossil fuels – mainly coal and natural gas. Efforts to . . . Complete story »
Up in the air: Questions remain about eagles and wind turbines in Botetourt County
Nearly eight years ago, a clean energy company hoping to build a wind farm atop a Botetourt County ridge hired a professional birdwatcher to find out if soaring eagles and towering turbines could coexist. A field biologist with Western EcoSystems Technology repeatedly hiked to four vantage points on North Mountain, where she spent two days each month for the next year looking for American bald eagles and eastern golden eagles. The count: three bald and eight golden eagles. Based on . . . Complete story »
Hundley: Apex Clean Energy must update environmental impact data
I’ve spent most of my life exploring, nurturing, and loving my family’s 855 acres of forests and fields and 3 miles of perennial streams that are adjacent to the proposed Rocky Forge Wind Farm site in Botetourt County. My parents were determined to conserve some Virginia forest land, and so the land is in a conservation easement. The proposed location for the turbines is a wildlife habitat for innumerable species, but my greatest concerns are the known impacts on the . . . Complete story »
Youngkin administration warns feds new wind areas could hurt commercial fisheries
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration told federal officials that large areas of ocean off Virginia being considered as potential offshore wind sites could cause “millions of dollars of negative impact to Virginia’s commercial fishing industries.” “While supportive of the growth of the offshore wind industry and the opportunities for the commonwealth to provide critical support to the offshore wind industry supply chain and become a key hub for future development, we must ensure any future leasing areas do not detrimentally impact . . . Complete story »
Virginia declines to join federal-state offshore wind partnership
RICHMOND – A partnership announced last week between the federal government and 11 East Coast states that aims to speed up offshore wind development has one noticeable absence: Virginia. A press release from President Joe Biden’s administration describes the Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership as a joint effort between the White House national climate adviser, four cabinet secretaries and the governors of “several East Coast states who are early leaders on offshore wind development.” The 11 states listed are Connecticut, Delaware, . . . Complete story »
Sandbridge residents oppose high-voltage cables from offshore wind project near Outer Banks
VIRGINIA BEACH – A wind energy company’s proposed project off the coast of the Outer Banks is ruffling the feathers of Virginia Beach residents 36 miles to the north who don’t want high-voltage cables in their beachfront neighborhood. Avangrid Renewables, based in Boston, is still in the early stages of developing its Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind Project. The company plans to build a wind farm 27 miles from Corolla, North Carolina, and is proposing to bring the transmission cables ashore in . . . Complete story »
Some Sandbridge residents vote against offshore wind project
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Some community members in Virginia Beach are pushing back against an offshore wind project. A company called Avangrid Renewables wants to bring subsea cables above the ground in Sandbridge. “You know, people spend their life savings and they come down here and they buy houses to enjoy the beach,” said Sandbridge resident Andrew Horne. Horne is a member of the Sandbridge Beach Civic League. He said he worries the offshore wind project on the horizon will change . . . Complete story »
As feds eye more wind leases off Virginia, fishing industries fear losses
Today, two wind turbines turn off Virginia’s coast. But by the middle of the next decade, hundreds more may have joined them. With a major push underway by President Joe Biden’s administration to develop 30 gigawatts of offshore wind as a way to reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels, federal officials are looking to dramatically expand the areas where wind farms can be built in U.S. waters. Virginia is an epicenter of interest: Of 4 million acres of ocean identified . . . Complete story »
Public comments again sought on Botetourt County wind farm
The developers of a long-delayed wind farm in Botetourt County will again take public comments as they seek to start construction on a project first proposed in 2015. Apex Clean Energy has scheduled a public hearing and information session for June 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Fincastle Community Center, according to a notice posted to its website. Anyone interested in submitting their input on the proposed Rocky Forge Wind – which would be the first on-shore wind . . . Complete story »
