Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project construction is a milestone for offshore wind development in the South 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Construction on Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project (CVOW) kicked off this week, marking the first step in the buildout of the largest wind facility in federal waters. 

This day has been years in the making, and SELC, along with numerous other environmental groups, played an integral role in laying the groundwork for the success of the CVOW project by securing critical environmental and consumer protections for Dominion customers and endangered right whales.  

“We need urgent climate action to protect the South and we are glad Virginia is embracing offshore wind as part of a clean, resilient, energy system,” said Alys Campaigne, leader of SELC’s climate initiative. “The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from this project alone is the equivalent of removing more than 1 million cars off the road each year. That’s huge, and we believe that with careful consideration and collaboration, wind power will play a growing role in our region’s energy mix and economy. 

CVOW will consist of 176 wind turbines located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and is expected to deliver power to at least 660,000 homes. 

Grayson Holmes, a senior attorney in SELC’s Virginia office who leads offshore wind work in the state said, “We worked with other environmental groups and state and federal agencies to ensure that this project is responsibly executed. We are proud of the whale protections, as well as customer protections, that resulted from those efforts. We will continue to watch the buildout and look forward to the clean energy benefits of the project once it is on line.”