As Virginia continues to accelerate green energy, Dominion reached a leasing agreement that will allow the company to establish wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Dominion will use 72 acres of property leased from the Portsmouth Marine Terminal about 27 miles off the coast. The project will produce more than 2,600 megawatts of energy, which will be enough to power up to 660,000 homes.
The 10-year lease will cost the company $4.4 million annually and includes provisions for two five-year lease renewals.
“This location at the Port of Virginia is second to none,” Dominion President Robert M. Blue said in a statement. “It has deep water access, no overhead restrictions, a strong, experienced maritime workforce and sufficient space for these large wind infrastructure components. It is perfectly situated to serve the Virginia offshore wind project and grow the domestic supply chain needed to complete other offshore wind projects in the United States.”
The deal comes about a year and a half after Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which forces energy utilities to gradually reduce carbon emissions and eventually eliminate them. Dominion is required to obtain all its energy from resources that do not emit carbon by 2045 and Appalachian Power is required to meet this goal by 2050. All coal plants must shut down by the end of 2024.
“This announcement is yet another milestone toward making Virginia the national leader in offshore wind power,” Northam said in a statement. “The Commonwealth and Dominion Energy are standing together to promote clean energy, reduce carbon emissions, create jobs, and build a new American industry on the East Coast of the United States.”
The agreement also includes upgrades for the terminal to ensure it can handle the weight of the components used to build the turbines.
This article was originally posted on Dominion reaches agreement for offshore wind energy off Virginia Beach
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