BOEM Approves Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Today the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approved Dominion Energy’s proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project off the Virginia Beach coast.

At a time when urgent climate action is needed, offshore wind energy is an important part of tackling the climate crisis and preventing the worst of its impacts. The approval of this project reiterates Virginia’s commitment to cutting heat-trapping carbon pollution to tackle climate change, the defining environmental challenge of our time.

“The CVOW project will significantly reduce Dominion’s reliance on coal and methane gas and also means cost savings for customers,” said Will Cleveland, a senior attorney in SELC’s Virginia office. “We are glad the project continues to move forward in a way that is going to bring Virginians more wind power, while balancing the need to protect the state’s natural resources as the project takes shape.”

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages the development of America’s offshore energy and mineral resources.

BOEM’s Record of Decision comes a month after it said it had completed its environmental review of the proposed project that would provide up to 3,000 megawatts of clean, reliable offshore wind energy.

This approval is just the latest in a series of approvals Dominion needs before it can begin construction on the project, which will be the largest offshore wind facility in federal waters. Virginia’s State Corporation Commission approved the project in August 2022.