Vol. 31
November 2022
Dominion Energy Virginia, Office of Attorney General, Walmart, Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices File Settlement Agreement for Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind
Dominion Energy Virginia, the Office of the Attorney General, Walmart, Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices filed a settlement agreement in the company's pending petition to the State Corporation Commission of Virginia to reconsider the performance guarantee included in the Final Order approving the development of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.
Centura College Students Tour Wind Turbine Field, Program Highlights Demand for Workforce
Centura College Wind Turbine Technician students toured Dominion Energy’s 2.6-gigawatt wind farm 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The program equips students to maintain and repair wind turbines, a trade that offers opportunities across the country.
The Next Generation: Welding Students Tour Future Site of Wind Energy Facility in Portsmouth
Students learning welding skills across Hampton Roads were able to learn more about how they can apply what they learn to the offshore wind industry. More than 60 students from Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Suffolk in career technical education programs participated in "Wind Energy Rocks 2" at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal.
New ODU Data Science Institute Coming to Virginia Beach
The project, in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory and NASA Langley Research Center, will offer undergraduate data science programs specializing in cybersecurity and marine engineering. The facility will be in offices on Town Center Drive formerly occupied by Hampton University and will include a wind-energy lab.
New U.S Offshore Wind Guidance Document Approved, Said to Speed Up Development
The U.S. offshore wind sector has gotten its new official guidance that can be used in the regulatory approval process. The document contains best practices and is said to help accelerate development of the offshore wind industry, shorten regulatory timelines, and increase worker safety.
U.S. Agencies Propose to Protect Whales While Building Wind Power
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and National Marine Fisheries Service released their joint strategy Oct. 21 “to protect and promote the recovery of North Atlantic right whales while responsibly developing offshore wind energy.”
Iberdrola Plans to Increase Kitty Hawk Capacity to 3.5 GW
Iberdrola plans to increase the total capacity of the Kitty Hawk offshore wind development, located off North Carolina, from 2.5 GW to 3.5 GW. The decision to raise the capacity comes “as the current turbine technology allows to increase the capacity potential of the leased area”, the Spanish renewable energy developer said.
For Offshore Wind Aspirations to Become Reality, Transmission Hurdles Must be Cleared
The federal announcements come as coastal states across the country are increasingly setting offshore wind energy targets, seeking to capture not just clean energy but the potentially big economic benefits of their ports serving as hubs for the vessels, blade manufacturing, cables and other infrastructure needed to get turbines more than 850 feet tall installed miles out at sea.
New Report Reveals U.S. Saw 60% Growth for Offshore Wind Targets
The Business Network for Offshore Wind’s inaugural U.S. Offshore Wind Quarterly Market Report shows that landmark federal policy, record investments and new state-level actions drove the U.S. offshore wind industry forward in the third quarter of 2022, with coastal states increasing their long-term targets by 58%, a new record for quarterly growth.
U.S. Wind Vessel Investors on Standby Until Market Forces Align
Despite significant talks, the construction of U.S. wind turbine installation vessels is lagging far behind offshore deployment plans. Dominion Energy's order for the new 472-foot Charybdis vessel remains the only firm commitment for a U.S.-built WTIV and around six vessels will be required to meet President Biden's target of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
WINDSday Newsletter
Check out the WINDSday newsletter celebrating the power of wind, clean energy and a green environment in Virginia Beach and all of Hampton Roads.