Virginia Offshore Wind
Offshore wind is accelerating and growing at a phenomenal pace. Virginia is well positioned to gain significant economic benefits from the industry and its supply chain. Virginia is home to the largest project that is still in active development.The Offshore Wind Program at Virginia Energy assists in the development of long-term growth. Growth is already underway as Virginia has the existing workforce and established infrastructure. As demand for wind energy increases, so will the opportunities in construction, maintenance, manufacturing and other service-related industries. The Offshore Wind Team is involved in site tours, meetings with international wind developers, logistics experts, European foundation fabricators and other potential supply chain businesses. Learn more about Virginia’s offshore wind advantage below and in this video.
Advantage
Hampton Roads’ unmatched port infrastructure and high-quality maritime workforce make the region an ideal location for offshore wind energy development. Virginia is the prime location for the offshore wind industry, from the supply chain to the full build-out of our offshore wind assets off the coast.
Strategic Geographic Location
With commercial offshore wind leases located off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and North Carolina at a travel time of less than 20 hours by installation vessels traveling at 10 knots, Virginia’s port assets are strategically located in the Mid-Atlantic with direct open access.
Unmatched Port Infrastructure
As the second largest on the east coast, in tonnage and the third largest in container volume, Virginia’s ports have the ability to handle any type of cargo. Virginia is one of the few states offering “plug in and play” port facilities to the supply chain.
Congestion-Free Navigation
Hampton Roads enjoys open shipping channels and navigational flexibility eliminating maritime congestion as a concern. The Port of Virginia is the deepest port on the east coast. The main channels are 55 feet deep, wide enough to allow for two-way traffic of ultra-large containerships and is always ice-free.
Unrestricted Air Draft Waterways
Virginia's numerous terminal facilities have direct access to sea with no overhead obstacles to impede the shipping of large and upright infrastructure and components, an advantage that differentiates it from every other east coast state.
Abundant Waterfront Land and Infrastructure
Virginia’s terminals offer existing dock capacity and ample on-water marshaling areas. The Virginia coastline is geographically rich with waterfront properties and development or redevelopment opportunities.
High-Quality Maritime Workforce
Hampton Roads boasts a civilian and military maritime labor force unmatched by any other east coast state.
Workforce
The Mid-Atlantic Wind Alliance is the Commonwealth’s first training alliance dedicated to offering a full suite of wind related training including courses certified by the Global Wind Organisation with training locations in Hampton Roads and Martinsville.
According to Chmura Analytics, wind turbine service technician is Virginia’s top employment growth career for the next few years .
Additionally, O*Net (US Departent of Labor) marks Wind Turbine Service Technicians as a “bright outlook” occupation.
Partners
Supply Chain
VIRGINIA’S OFFSHORE WIND SUPPLY CHAIN ROADMAP
Virginia Energy contracted with BVG Associates LLC (BVGA) in the summer of 2018 to analyze Virginia’s potential strategic role and opportunity associated with the rapidly emerging U.S. Atlantic offshore wind industry. The firm leveraged its North American and global partners with extensive offshore wind industry experience, including Ramboll Group A/S, Timmons Group, Greentree Consulting, LLC and the Business Network for Offshore Wind.
BVGA issued its report, “The Virginia Advantage: The Roadmap for the Offshore Wind Supply Chain in Virginia,” after a thorough review of the Commonwealth’s unique advantages, business climate, workforce readiness as well as its ports, marine terminals and waterfront areas.
Project Veer is leveraging the advanced manufacturing legacy of Virginia’s southwest to explore its entry points for the region's manufacturers into the offshore wind supply chain. Community colleges were the first to join the effort led by Invest SWVA.
To view the click Business Network for Offshore Wind's Supply Chain Notice please click.
To view the Supply Chain Connect please click.
To view the New Supplier Form please click.
History
2006
Virginia General Assembly creates the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium to serve as an information resource for the Commonwealth on coastal energy issues.
2009
The “Virginia Beach Workshop on Wind”, the first Virginia-based offshore wind conference was held. Over 100 stakeholders attended including representatives from the Bureau of Ocean Energy management, the United States military, offshore wind developers and numerous entities that would be involved in building an offshore wind supply chain.
Also in 2009, BOEM formed the Virginia Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force to determine a location on the outer continental shelf to lease and develop offshore wind.
2010
The Virginia Assembly created the Virginia Offshore Wind Energy Development Authority (VOWDA) to support the development of the industry.
2013
BOEM issues a wind energy research to lease to the Virginia Department of Energy. The lease area is located 26 nautical miles from Virginia’s coast.
2015
The Virginia Offshore Wind Port Readiness Study is released. The study concluded that five of Virginia’s ports could support an east coast offshore wind industry.
2016
BOEM Approves Virginia’s Offshore Wind Research Activities Plan. The action cleared the way for the installation and operation of two, six-megawatt turbines. The electricity generated would power 3,000 homes.
2018
Virginia’s legislature passed the Grid Transformation and Security Act deeming 5,000 MW of utility-scale solar and wind energy generation to be in the public interest.
Also, in 2018, the Virginia Energy Plan, included a goal that 2,000 MW of offshore wind be developed by 2028. The plan also made the offshore wind industry a priority for workforce development and in economic development strategic plans.
2020
Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project became operational in October. This is the first offshore wind farm installed in federal waters.
2021
BOEM issues a Notice of Intent for the CVOW commercial project. This is a 2.6 gigawatt wind farm that will consist of 176 wind turbines. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 and completed in 2026. It will be the largest offshore wind project in the United States.
2023
On October 31, 2023, the Department of the Interior announced the approval of the construction and operation of the CVOW project offshore Virginia. Read more on the project here.