Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project to enter into service after passing key test

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project — located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach – is now ready to enter commercial service after it successfully completed reliability testing.

The next significant regulatory step for the offshore wind pilot project to submit the final documentation to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for its technical review. This review is expected to be complete by the end of the year. However, the two-turbine, 12-megawatt pilot wind farm will remain in operation during this review process.

The CVOW pilot project, owned by Dominion Energy, is the only project currently permitted under the BOEM process. It will be the first fully operational wind power generation facility in U.S. federal waters.

“This is a monumental day for the Commonwealth and the burgeoning offshore wind industry in America as CVOW is ready to deliver clean, renewable energy to our Virginia customers,” Joshua Bennett, Dominion Energy vice president of offshore wind, said. “Our team has worked diligently with key stakeholders and regulators while safely navigating through the coronavirus pandemic to complete this vitally important project that is a key step to reducing carbon emissions.”

The pilot project will power 3,000 homes in Virginia. Dominion Energy Customers will see no increase in rates for the pilot project.

The permitting, design, installation, and operations experience from this pilot project will be used for Dominion’s proposed 2,600-megawatt commercial project. That project is on track to commence construction in 2024, pending approvals. The CVOW commercial project could create approximately 900 jobs and $143 million in economic impact annually during construction and $210 million in economic impact annually during the turbines’ operation. It would power 660,000 homes.